BY NED GAGAHE
Former Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has urged the people of Isabel Province to pursue economic development that benefits future generations while safeguarding the province’s natural resources.
Speaking as Guest of Honour at the 42nd Second Appointed Day celebration held at the National Museum Auditorium in Honiara yesterday, Manele said Isabel’s development aspirations must focus on sustainability, infrastructure and investment in its people.
Addressing provincial leaders, church representatives, youth and members of the Isabel community, Manele said the province’s wealth should not be measured solely by the resources extracted from its land and sea.
“For too long, the wealth of our province has been counted in what we take out of the ground and out of the sea, rather than in what we build for our children.
“Logs have left our shores, but lasting prosperity has too often left with them,” he said.
Speaking on the event theme, “Exemplifying Isabel Province’s Uniqueness Through Economic Development Aspiration,” Manele said Isabel possesses fertile land, rich fisheries, forests and mineral resources that can support long-term growth if managed responsibly.
He said that development must reach ordinary people in villages throughout the province.
“A road that reaches the market, a clinic that stays open, a wharf that lets a fisherman sell his catch, electricity and clean water that reach a home — these are the true measures of progress.
“Growth that does not touch ordinary lives is not development. It is only a number or statistics,” he said.
Manele also calls for responsible management of natural resources, warning against short-term gains that could compromise the future of coming generations.
“We are stewards, not owners. The land and sea were given to us in trust by those who came before us, and we must hand them on to those who will come after.
“Let us never trade our children’s inheritance for a season’s profit,” he said.
The former Prime Minister further highlighted the importance of education, skills training and youth empowerment, describing young people as the key drivers of Isabel’s future economic growth.
“No outside investor and no government grant can substitute for an educated, skilled and enterprising Isabel youth,” he said.
Reflecting on his rise to become the first Prime Minister from Isabel Province, Manele said the achievement belonged to the people of Isabel rather than to him alone.
“That was never my achievement alone.
“It belonged to every parent who sent a child to school, every chief who counselled patience and unity, every church congregation that prayed for our leaders, and every Isabel man and woman who believed that our small province could stand tall in the affairs of our nation,” he said.
The annual Second Appointed Day celebration commemorates Isabel Province’s identity, history and achievements while bringing together Isabel people living in Honiara and across the country.
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