ISABEL Province will commence Customary Land Recording Friday this week as a result of combined efforts by the National Government, the Isabel Provincial Government, the Isabel Council of Chiefs and the Pacific Community (SPC) with financial support from the Australian Government.

Stakeholders of Barora Fa, Ghage and Pizuana will congregate at Kia for a Public Hearing to represent claims on customary interests over identified lands and the chain of islands linking the Arnavon Islands at the western end of Isabel Province.

The Public Hearing is fixed to commence following a one month public notice to hear claims over customary interests in the specified areas following a Government declaration to carryout recording of customary land in Isabel.

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Survey, earlier this year declared Isabel Province as a Customary Land Recording Province which has resulted in the appointment of the Isabel Customary Land Recorder.

The Commissioner of Lands, Mr Alan Mcneil is pleased with the progress of work so far. In the current exercise, the Surveyor General will be heavily involved, as they will carry out the mapping of customary boundaries.

The Commissioner of Lands further confirmed that this is a National Government undertaking and has the full support of the Ministry and especially the Customary Land Records Office. This exercise will roll out into the next 2 weeks.

Meanwhile, the Zabana House of Chiefs is optimistic that the exercise will be successful and landholding clans, families and individuals will be able to record their interest in custom over their Customary Land.

This will be an affirmation of rights and interest as to custom over the Customary Land by Land holding entities.

The Public Hearing will be attended by the Isabel Customary Lands Record Office, Isabel Provincial Government’s Culture and Lands Division and Officers from the Public Solicitors Office (LALSU).

A brief program will include awareness on related matters and common issues as to Customary Land to be conducted by officers of the LALSU and the Isabel Customary Land Records Office.

Other regions in Isabel have also indicated willingness to undertake this process as it appears to be an appropriate intervention to Customary Land management issues faced by various land holding entities.

–GCU

BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

WHITE River Community High School Principal, Evan Gerea has lauded the Japanese government for selecting his school to participate in the High School Students Summit on “World Tsunami Awareness Day” in Japan this year.

Gerea says his students not only learned about tsunami awareness but have developed a whole new perception of the world.

He voiced it is important that they utilize the knowledge they gained from the summit.

Gerea expressed that this trip is an investment for the country.

He said they are very thankful to the Japanese government for having Solomon Islands, particularly White River School at the summit.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

THE Malaita Provincial Government is calling on the national government to consider improvement of its resource sharing to the provinces.

Provincial Secretary of MPG, Mr Jackson Gege made the statement saying this is the reason provinces are sometimes engaged in unethical actions.

He said all the provinces in the country are very marginalise in terms of resources sharing and focus of the national government.

Gege said national government doesn’t see provincial governments as important political institutions to work along for development and delivery of services in the country.

“A clear example was out of the total budget of the national government in terms of resource sharing, all provinces only receive 1.4 percent of the budget.

“And distributing that 1.4 percent among all the provinces, it doesn’t enough to meet all the services and demands in the provinces.

“Because majority of country’s populations are in the provinces and take care by the province.

“So the people’s immediate needs are closer to the provincial government than the national government,” he said.

Gege said the sad thing was it is difficult to meet their services. With the increased population, the need for services and cost of delivery is also increasing.

He said the support by the national government to provincial governments was fixed and not improving year by year.

He said this is one of provincial governments appeal to national government to consider improving resource sharing, so that provinces can increase their responsibility.

“On the other hand, it will also stop provinces from borrowing.

“Because when provinces are not well supported, some of its actions will not seem right in order to meet its legal obligations,” Gege said.

He made an example saying in a clinic, it is unethical to inject two or three patients with only a syringe, but due to luck of syringes and for the sake of serving the patient’s life, the nurses do something unethical.

“This is a classic example of how provincial governments are functioning. They want to do more current services, but they luck resources.

“Although they’re operating on local revenue, but collecting revenue is not easy as it’s costly on areas like logistic, recruitment and others.

“So it’s best for national government to reconsider these things so that provinces do not engage in unethical actions,” Gege said.

It was only yesterday, the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS) spoke of their priority area to the Public Accounts Committee for a shared resource scheme for provinces.

MPGIS is tasked to strategise for this scheme.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE increased reports on logging vehicles costing people’s lives have become a concern for the Police.

Supervising Police Commissioner Juanita Matanga said fatal accidents in logging camps has been of great concern to the police. She said from the past months and weeks police continued to receive reports of fatal accidents.

She said logging companies must be aware of the safety of its employees and the machines used must be of standard.

She reminds loggers that whilst they are doing their activities it is also their responsibility to care for their employees and machines.

Loggers must make sure their machines and vehicles are road worthy and safe for employees. She said a lot of lives had been lost, due to negligence.

She made the comment following a recent report where a Malaysian was report to die after he was hit by a tyre of the loader at one of the Logging camps in Malaita.

She said Police in Auki attended to that report and the deceased was taken to Honiara and ready to be repatriated back to his home country.

Matanga also mentioned that from these reports, the Assistant Commissioner Provincial will be liaising with the Provincial Governments to come up with some by-laws to be applied to all vehicles operating in the Logging camps and in the provinces.

OFFICERS of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Sexual Assault Team have charged a 25-year-old male on allegations of rape following an incident which happened at Agape area Tandai Heights in West Honiara on 1 October 2018.

Officer-In-charge of the Sexual Assault Team at the Rove Police Headquarters in Honiara Sergeant Rose Nala explains: “It is alleged that in the early hours of 1 October 2018 the suspect went into a house where the victim was sleeping in her room and allegedly raped her. The victim alerted her parents but the suspect had already escaped.”

Sergeant Nala adds: “The matter was reported to the White River Police Station straight after the incident but it was not until yesterday the suspect was arrested by police at White River. Officers of the Sexual Assault Teams charged the suspect with one count of rape. He has been remanded in custody as of yesterday (21 November) until 5 December 2018.”

“I wish to thank family members of the victim and my officers with Police at the White River Police Station for their cooperation and assistance leading to the successful arrest of the suspect,” says Sergeant Nala.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, National Operation, and Mostyn Mangau says, “Sexual offences in the country are unfortunately increasing. I want to urge all community leaders, chiefs, women and church leaders, and parents to make sure our women and girls are not endangered at all times. We must work together to make sure that our country is safe so our women and girls can move freely without being harassed. Parents should ensure our daughters must be protected at all times.”

Members of the public are encouraged to report any sexual offences by calling the RSIPF toll free line 999 or Seif Ples on the free toll line 132

–RSIPF MEDIA

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

SUPERVISING Police Commissioner Juanita Matanga says police will be part of the 16 days activism campaign on violence against women and girls starting this weekend.

She said with the theme for this year ‘herem voice blo mi’ Police has come up with some key messages in which they wanted to remind the public and make aware to the community.

“Use your voice report violence against women and girls, use your voice speak about violence against women and girls use your voice you are not alone.

“Rape is a crime therefore we must stop it, rape is a crime and it is not good, incest is also a crime and must be stopped so these are the key messages we want to send out during the 16 days activism week”, Matanga said.

She said Police will continue to do awareness and educate people with regards to violence.

“We have done a lot of awareness and programs in the past and we will continue to do but it’s up to our people for them to take heed of our awareness”, Matanga said.

She said violence and sexual offences are everybody’s concern.

Victims will have scars for the rest of their lives. She said everyone in society must work together to reduce the increased cases of violence and sexual issues affecting women, girls and children in this country.

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

WESTERN Province Premier, David Gina says there is continuing talks with the Papua New Guinea (PNG) government on border issues.

Hon. Gina has brought the subject up in the provincial assembly on security and policing matters.

He said the WPG is working closely with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in providing security and maintaining law and order.

Gina said this is to ensure the borders are protected to respective sovereignty of both countries from illegal and illicit activities.

“Our appeal to the National government is to re-equip and put more resources, logistics and capacity at the border so that we have some administration, management and control over the border issue.”

“We are in dire need of permanent arrangement and occupations as it was in the past that of the current abhor basis,” said Gina.

Gina said that Western Province needs to have the investors’ confidence, provide conductive environment and social security in which our people’s safety is guaranteed.