BY SAMIE WAIKORI
AUKI
The Malaita for Democracy (M4D) group has denounced rumours being circulated by government that the SCALE programme has been cancelled.
This follows reports that a Malaita government minister had told his constituents that the US-funded programme has been cancelled.
Reports say villagers approached the Winrock team when they arrived in their community for an awareness programme, asking them to verify what the government minister (their MP) had told them.
President of M4D who is also the President of MALA-MOI Council of Chief, Mr Knoxly Atu during a public rally at Auki Central market yesterday, said, “Villagers of Subobono village in the East Fataleka, Fataleka constituency have come out to say that their MP, Rex Ramofafia has been telling them that the USAID SCALE programme is not happening anymore or has been cancelled.
“The revelation of this lying behaviour came out during a SCALE-NRM awareness tour in East Malaita in the past weeks.
“Villagers voiced out that they were very shocked to see Dr Morgan Wairiu and the team from Winrock touring them because their MP Rex Ramofafia has just told them that there was no more USAID SCALE programme.”
Atu, in a statement to the paper, said the villagers were happy to learn that SCALE is still very much alive, contrary to what their MP had told them.
“They said that now they see the team and they know who is telling the true.”
In the meantime, Atu, who is also from East Fataleka, denounced the information saying no cancellation has made to the Winrock Scale programme in Malaita province and communities across the province must be aware of it.
He said the Winrock Scale programme is just beginning to roll out in the province and this five-year project is alive and kicking.
Atu said “it’s very shocking that such fabricated information was alleged to come from a national leader who should lead cooperation with development partners to develop people and the province.”
He said the Winrock office is in Auki and any queries on their programme should be directed to them for clarification rather than collecting information around.
