By EDDIE OSIFELO
HONIARA City Council Vura ward member, Reginald Ngati supports the call made by Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer to investigate the cause of the 2021 November riot and looting.
Sir Albert had wanted to see a Commission of Inquiry set up to find a solution to the ongoing problem following the devastation and impact caused by rioters and looters on many properties during the November riots.
He issued the call through a virtual meeting to open the Legal Year on Monday this week.
Ngati said it is an important call given the background of Sir Albert who heads the legal fraternity in the country.
He recalled that the 2006 COI has given the authority information to counter the protest and riot in the future.
Further to that, Ngati said COI could help authority to point out who is responsible for the protest and riots.
“Is it the government? Is it the people or police?
“We can answer it with the report with us,” he added.
Sir Albert stressed the incident sadly was not confined to Chinatown but other parts of the city were also targeted, looted and burnt down as well.
“At the right time an investigation or a commission of enquiry should be considered to be set up to determine inter alia, the causes of the riot and recommendations to be considered as to how that part of the town and businesses and property can be better secured and protected in future,” Sir Albert said.
Attorney General John Muria Jnr said the events that occurred on November 24 was a sad one for Honiara and for Solomon Islands.
“This was a vibrant display of the lack of understanding and respect of the law and no respect for authority,” Muria said.
“Indeed, it was also a clear manifestation of the ongoing decay of moral and societal values,” he added.
Muria said what transpired during the November riots was amongst other things, a lack of understanding of basic principles of law by our youths.
He said the involvement of youths as young as 13 has prompted him to renew calls to all relevant stakeholders including the Ministry of Education and Human Resources that our school syllabus needs to be reviewed to include the education of our children of legal principles.
He said this includes the teaching of legal studies at senior Primary and / or at Secondary levels of education.
