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Honiara youth leaders train for facilitators

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Group photo of the community youth leaders and officials who attended the workshop at the Ginger Beach Retreat.

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

HONIARA’S community youth leaders have been empowered in a two-day facilitator’s workshop held at the Ginger Beach Retreat on Monday.

The workshop is facilitated by the Honiara City Council-Youth Division and Honiara Youth Council with funding from the New Zealand Government through Solomon Islands Policing Support Programme.

Youth Development Officer for Honiara and Renbel and representative from the Community Policing of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) were also present.

The two-day workshop aims to train young leaders on useful skills and knowledge in facilitating and planning a youth event.

First training yesterday was on planning a youth event session facilitated by the HCC-Youth Development Officer Mrs Mary Tuhaika and today is on facilitation skill from the HYC President Mr Harry James Olikwailafa.

Participants of the workshop.

Monday’s session is more on practical and group discussion which resulted in youth leaders coming up with impressive planned event and positive output showing they are capable of running a youth event.

Youth Development Officer Tuhaika said importance to train youth leaders skills and knowledge in planning a youth event is because young people have variety of needs in the community to explore.

Equipped them with these skills and knowledge will support young people discovered their potentials and access to opportunities and run their own events, she adds.

Deputy Team Leader, Solomon Island Policing Support Programme Mr George Fa’alogo said they are excited to work closely with the HCC-YD and HYC particularly in youth development activities.

Young leaders who attended the facilitators workshop on Monday.

He said under the Solomon Islands Policing Support Programme, one of its core aims is to empower young people in Solomon Islands become good leaders and good citizens.

“We are very happy that there are so much talent people here and we grateful to work with HCC-YD and HYC because they already selected young people they know have good track records,” Fa’alogo said.

“For us as programme coming in, the selection is already been made and you can trust them because these people already have leadership quality,” he adds.

Young people is expecting have knowledge and skills in public speaking and effective communication skills, build knowledge and skills in facilitation and leadership styles.

Youth leaders attended the facilitator’s workshop are from the community youth groups registered under the Youth Division of the HCC.

Group photo of the community youth leaders and officials who attended the workshop at the Ginger Beach Retreat.

Western opens world events

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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By Mike Puia

Gizo

THE opening of this year’s World Environment Day, World Ocean Day and Coral Triangle Initiative commemoration will happen in Gizo, Western Province, today.

The opening has been decided by organisers of the event to be held today so that the planned clean-up happens the whole of tomorrow and the interesting part of the event, which will involve a pageant show, a photo, song and recycling competition, to follow on Thursday.

The coastal clean-up will take place in and around Gizo and on picnic islands tomorrow. The clean-up will involve collection of rubbish and crown of thorns, a dangerous starfish.

There are awareness activities to be held on booths that will be setup in the heart of Gizo. The awareness will cover plastic and waste segregation. In the evening, it will be an awareness video night.

On Thursday, there will be a plastic and waste management awareness and recycling demonstrations. Awareness booths and entertainment are also planned.

A pageant competition, photo competition and recycling competition and a singing talent competition will be the highlight activities of the day.

Say no to mining & prospect: Vasuni

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Premier of Central Islands Province, Hon Patrick Vasuni.

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

CENTRAL Islands Province (CIP) Premier Hon Patrick Vasuni strongly urges Ngella landowners to not accept signing mining prospect.

The Premier confirmed that they have already been approached by keen operators in which they turned down their interest.

“In turning down the interests, we were told that mining operators have gone to certain places in Ngella to do awareness on mining prospect over which we believe they will only be talking about the good side of mining without revealing it’s bad side,” said the Premier.

“When we are yet finding ways to totally ban logging on the islands and coming up with plans in how we would carry out replanting of forest trees to the damages caused by the disastrous activity, mining will only destroy our goals.

“So I urge landowners to not give in to this activity as it will only bring disaster in the near future to our islands.”

One of the alternatives CIP’s provincial government is eyeing to help develop Ngella further with once they succeed in banning logging and mining is tourism as well as looking at ways to increase income from fishing.

St Joseph’s Tenaru school water problem to be over soon        

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Signing of the CRISP project between the St Josephs’ Tenaru National Secondary School Principal Abraham Hihiru and CRISP project Coordinator Ms Mary Alalo on Monday.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

Signing of the CRISP project between the St Josephs’ Tenaru National Secondary School Principal Abraham Hihiru and CRISP project Coordinator Ms Mary Alalo on Monday.

ST Joseph’s Tenaru National Secondary School signed an agreement with the Community Resilience to Climate and Disaster Risks in the Solomon Islands Project (CRISP) under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology to ease the school’s water issue.

The officially signing ceremony between the two parties was held at the CRISP office in Honiara yesterday.

Principal of Tenaru School Abraham Hihiru says the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology has been very supportive to drive this initiative to reach the signing phase of the project.

“Thanks for giving us this opportunity and recognising this very important need of the school, I can only say we are very pleased we are very happy because it is one key important area which needed to be addressed and now you step in to support us and soon the school water problem will be over,” he said.

CRISP project Coordinator Ms Mary Alalo says this project falls under component C of the project where MECDM really work to build up vulnerable communities to manage the impact of climate change.

“With regards to this Tenaru have been assessed that it is vulnerable to flooding and other climate and environmental risks so it made it eligible to be funded under the CRISP project,” she said.

The project will be of highbred system including collecting water underground and harvesting of rain water for drinking with a total cost of $390,000.

The next phased to proceed to is transferring of money to the school account to finance the implementation of the project.

NZ supports HCC-YD and HYC in youth development

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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One of the Officer from the New Zealand with a youth leader from the Solomon Islands Deaf Association

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

 

One of the Officer from the New Zealand with a youth leader from the Solomon Islands Deaf Association

YOUTH Division of the Honiara City Council and Honiara Youth Council have established a solid partnership with New Zealand to build young people to become future leaders.

The New Zealand Government through the Solomon Islands Policing Support Programme have selected HCC-YD and HYC to work with community youth groups within Honiara.

Deputy Team Leader for the Solomon Islands Policing Support Programme Mr George Fa’alogo said their participation with the HCC-YD and HYC was to have young people become nation builders and leaders of the country.

“Our ultimate goal of this programme is to have young people become nation builder and leaders of the country, we realise to build leaders will take a time.

“We also aim to plant a seed with these current group of young leaders so that they can go on to be leaders in the community and leaders in whatever area they choose to specialise in—weather in sports, work, community and church.”

He explained they are part of the Solomon Islands Policing Support Programme from the New Zealand.

He add such programme is a partnership created between the Solomon Islands Government and New Zealand Government to support RSIPF to operationalise the crime prevention strategy.

One of the drivers of the crime prevention strategy is the issue affecting young people which they have chosen the HCC-YD and HYC because they already worked with young people.

In their mission, Fa’alogo said they have a number of specialists in its mission to work with young people internationally which including Solomon Islands.

To work with young people, Fa’alogo said they target to increase capability Solomon Islands police officers to work with young people because young people are the future leaders of Solomon Islands.

Youth Development Division of the Honiara City Council is thrilled to work with the New Zealand Government through its programme which will support youth development programme in Honiara.

On Monday, they convened at the Ginger Beach Retreat to train youth leaders in Honiara to be equipped in facilitating.

It was funded by the New Zealand Government through the Solomon Islands Policing Support Programme and facilitated by the HCC-YD and HYC.

Deregistered logging company operating

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

THERE is a logging company operating at Ngella for the past five months that has already had their Felling Licence deregistered since December 2017.

According to the Ministry of Forestry and Research letter by the Commissioner of Forests sighted on notice to cancel felling license A10319 to Tropical Resources Development Company Limited, they have received advice from the Office of the Registrar of Companies that the company has been deregistered on December 1, 2017 due to failure to file annual return.

“Your failure to re-register as legal entity which has now caused to exist means that you are no longer entitled to be granted a felling licence nor can any licence be held in your name and/or your company entered into any agreement with any company.”

“As such, pursuant to Section 39 of the Forest Resources and Timber Utilization Act, we hereby serve you with this fourteen days notice to make representation to the Office of the Commissioner of Forests as to why your felling licensee A10319 should not be cancelled,” stated in the letter on May 22.

According to Central Islands Province (CIP) Provincial Secretary (PS), Christian Siale, in an interview, finding out of the company’s deregistration is one amongst other grounds that the province has put to the Commissioner of Forest through confirmation of certificates.

“That is amongst other grounds being the reason why the province has put this report,” said the PS.

He confirmed that the Forestry, Ministries (including the environment ministry) and Attorney General (AG) are aware of this situation as there has not been any renewal of their license.

It is said that when it comes to the Forestry license, the Forestry might have not done background research on companies applying for licensee resulting in not picking this up, however, CIP’s provincial government picked this up and made it known to them about the situation.

Tropical Resources Development Company Limited was registered before December 2017 when it was deregistered.

Logging activities now having negative impact on the environment of Ngella has led to the Constituency’s citizens being fed up in which a petition to ban logging there had already been launched over the weekend at Tulaghi seeing CIP’s Premier Hon Patrick Vasuni and the PS receiving it.

It is understood that the petition presented to the provincial government will be part of CIP’s State of the Forests Report 2017-2018 to the Ministry of Forestry.

Man facing arson charge to appear on June 18

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

A man facing one count of arson will appear again in court on June 18 to allow police prosecution to transfer his file to the Office of the Director Public Prosecution.

The court was told yesterday that investigation into the case has been completed and the file will be transferred to the DPP’s office for prosecution.

Prosecution also said yesterday that the file was supposed to have been transferred previously but due to pending investigation, the file will be transferred today.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Ricky Iomea also asked the accused whether he has secured any lawyer to represent him, to which the accused said he has not yet received any response.

Mr Iomea then adjourned the case to June 18 and told the accused to follow up on his requests.

The accused Alex Salau is charged with one count of arson in relation to an incident on April 3, 2018 at a village named Kolohasi in Guadalcanal.

The case was reported to the police in which he was arrested for the alleged offence.

Mayor commends ‘Friends of the City’ initiative

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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By Gary Hatigeva

LIKE everyone else, the Honiara City Mayor, Andrew Mua has acknowledged and commended the Friends of the City initiative for what he described as a continuous job well done on the face of the city.

The City Mayor in an interview yesterday highlighted that the founders of the initiative should be given credit for this programme, which he says showcases important characteristics that all Honiara citizens should follow.

He however called on all Honiara residents to join hands with the initiative to continue giving the city a beautiful face and a clean place to live in.

He said like those that chose to participate in the weekly cleanup programmes of the initiative, everyone else should have the same pride.

“Be proud of your city because it is where you and I are live in, year in and year out, and it will be where our children and their children’s children, will certainly live in.

“As the mayor, a citizen of Honiara City and also a member of the initiative, I would like to thank the heads of the Friends of the City initiative and its members for the great works done so far for our city.

“It gives me great joy and pleasure to also witness a lot of young people taking the lead in this initiative, which I am very sure, will also benefit them as ambassadors for not only a clean city, but so as clean environment in an overall picture,” Mayor Mua expressed.

He also thanked Friends of the City for taking the initiative, which will save the Council a few funds to set focus on other things.

The initiative over the weekend took it back to the street to clean up the rails of the island along the main highway running through Point Cruz and the Market area, making it the forth set of major cleanup campaigns within the city.

It is understood that the direct responsibility to maintain and clean up these infrastructures and facilities, especially the roads and rails, belongs to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID), and this is also something the Mayor stressed, the group should be given proper recognitions for.

Meanwhile, a former senior government officer who asked not to be named, joined the Mayor’s sentiments, and suggested for the rightful authorities to give established recognition to this initiative.

He said the initiative is understandably an nonprofit organisation and all its wonderful activities are executed under pure voluntary basis, but the government and responsible bodies should see that at least small funds or allocations are made, which he is confident, will go a long way down the line.

“They are actually doing the responsible authorities and government a huge favour, and expected nothing, therefore, they should be recognised for this. At least establish any form of direct incentive for the sake of this wonderful initiative and also for the good of the city,” the former government officer said.

He also joined the Mayor to call on all Honiara residents to be part of the initiative during its scheduled timelines, adding that those who have not done so, will find themselves changed have new perspectives of Honiara, knowing they are giving back to their own city.

The friends of the city (FTC) is a non-profitable organisation that brings together volunteers, made up of people with similar interest, to discuss the development and social challenges facing Honiara City, and to fashion the best way forward to a clean, safe and beautiful Honiara City.

Established with a vision to build a clean, green and prosperous Honiara City, and a Mission to enhance people participation through people’s volunteerism to build a clean, healthy, pleasant and sustainable Honiara City

The initiative according to the founders, have the strong believe that with such initiative, partnership is very vital and that it is better to collaborate than to compete.

It continues to bring together all interested volunteers from all works, which include churches, government, community and the private sector, that have the heart for the City.

Our City Our Pride Our Home

The initiative was established also with the intention to create mind set grooming that recapture the public taking ownership of their city and be proud of it, with the need to have their own sense of responsibility to cultivate cleanliness, and ensure a nice and comfortable surrounding for every residents.

Western provincial assembly concludes last meeting

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Members of the outgoing MPAs under the Alliance for Rural Reform Development (ARRD) Government lead by Wayne Maepioh including Clerk to the Assembly, Kevin Paia and Provincial Speaker, Richard Tekifono pose for a group photo at the Women Resource Centre on Thursday

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
GIZO

THE Western province has concluded its final full assembly meeting on Thursday.

The main agenda discussed is the province’s Division Annual Report for the 2017/2018 financial year, the 2017/2018 revised supplementary budget and the 2018/2019 Appropriation Ordinance.

The assembly went through on the minutes of the previous meeting, received presentation from the Provincial Public Accounts Committee and extensively deliberated on the 2018/2019 Supplementary Appropriation (No 1) Bill 2018/2019 in the presence of the Clerk to the Assembly, Kevin Paia and Provincial Speaker, Richard Tekifono.

Acting Premier Maloney Lopoto in his final remarks at the Sine Die on Thursday said Alliance for Reform and Rural Development (ARRD) government since coming into power had produced a roadmap in terms of plans, policies and programmes to guide and help in the development of the province.

“We have travelled through this road up to this very moment with most of the issues, challenges, failures, achievements and success.

“I believe we have made some kind of significant achievements and some success taken into account the time we come into power as a government.

“It will surely be another challenging year for all of us, as we strive to fulfill our plans and programmes as stipulated in our policy statement 2014 – 2017 as well as our three years rolling plan,” said Lopoto.

The Western provincial government under caretaker Premier Wayne Maepioh was dissolved on Thursday last week.

Western province passes one last bill

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
GIZO

THE Western provincial government, in its last assembly last week, passed a bill.

The Western Provincial 2018/2019 Supplementary Appropriation (No.1) Bill 2018/2019 was passed on Tuesday, to be submitted to the Minister of Provincial Government for assenting and gazette.

Western Provincial 2018/2019 Supplementary Appropriation (No.1) Bill 2018/2019 went through the first reading stage during the second day of the meeting.

Provincial minister for finance and treasury, Lester Saomasi announced the province has appropriated a budget of $4,925,757 over the next fiscal year.

Saomasi while detailing the content of 2018/2019 budget estimate set before the chamber on Tuesday, said there is a supplementary expenditure of $4,925,757 for the services of the Western provincial government in respect of the fiscal year 2018/2019.

Saomasi thanked MPAs who presented their debate during the sine die motion in the last full assembly sitting under Premier Wayne Maepioh.

“It is time for this province to rise to its challenges, but in order for this to happen, we MPAs as elected leaders to working together to achieve goals.

“I would like to wish and hopeful that the next government will amicably solve the finance situation in terms of good management in the coming years.

“I hope some of us will not hinder the smooth implementation of this lawful exercise.”

The budget was passed before the house on Tuesday May 29, 2018.

The assembly concluded its final sitting on Thursday.

Meanwhile, MPA for Ward 18 South Rendova George Solingi Lilo speaking during the Sine Die said he was not satisfied with the MPAs’ overall attendance and contributing.

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