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Hornets out to sting

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Members of the Guadalcanal under-19 soccer team during yesterday’s training session at Panatina Soccer Field.

BY ROMULUS HUTA

GUADALCANAL Hornets youth coach says they will treat every game as final in the 2018 Youth Solomon Cup that will kick off in Honiara this afternoon.

FIFA-accredited assistant referee and school teacher, Jackson Akoeasi, who will now bear a new title as a head coach in this Youth Solomon Cup with Hornets said the competition will not be easy.

Therefore, they have to win all matches as they come if they are to finish on top of the ladder given the competition is being conducted in a round-robin format.

The Guadalcanal Hornets youth side comprised of students from schools on Guadalcanal and they are competing in both the under-16 and the under-19 categories.

The 2017 school champions Numbu, dominates majority of Hornets’ teams rosters, according to Akoeasi.

“Core of our team is from Numbu. They are the high school champions last year.

“We are humbled going into this year’s competition.

“It’s been only a week in our preparations and we’ll just have to be content with what we have we learned over the past seven days in training to try and win many matches as possible,” he said.

Guadalcanal under-19 will sit out today’s round of action on bye and their first match is scheduled for 2.30pm tomorrow against Honiara at Lawson Tama.

In the under-16 category, their match against Western Turtle is set as the opener at 12noon at SIFF Academy.

Chiefs are back for Youth Solomon Cup

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Renbel head coach Greezer Pongi

BY ROMULUS HUTA

DURING last year’s Our Telekom Solomon Cup they have finished pool play at the bottom spot but won hearts of many.

Going into this year’s Youth Solomon Cup, Rennell and Bellona Chiefs head Coach Greezer Pongi said they promised to go out and give a good competition to their opponents and take aim at finishing well on the ladder when they kick start their campaign in the youth soccer tournament this afternoon.

Rennell and Bellona or Renbel for short, will participate in both the under-19 and the under-16 categories of the Youth Solomon Cup that will get underway in Honiara this afternoon.

Their first match in the under-19 is against Honiara in the final schedule of the day at 4pm and Pongi said they are really looking forward to it.

“Our under-16 and under-19 teams were selected from the league competitions we held back home and comprised all home-based players.

“No Honiara-based player is included in our team this time. We have selected all players from our league back home,” Pongi, an experienced former goalkeeper for Renbel in the 90s said.

“We understand the competition will be very tough and we are taking on each game as they come.

“Our preparation started late but we hope to impress other teams in the competition,” he said

Youth Solomon Cup starts today

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Gudalcanal U-16 players undergoing speed and agility training in 2019…Photos Taromane Martin

Real Kakamora meets Eagles in opener

By Taromane Martin

THE Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) has confirmed the much awaited Youth Solomon Cup competition is set to kick off today at the Lawson Tama stadium.

The Youth Solomon Cup is being held in two divisions – the under-16 and the under-19.

SIFF yesterday conducted draws for the competitions which will see Malaita, Makira, Central Islands, Honiara, Rennell and Bellona and Western Province taking part in the two weeks event.

The draw was witnessed and attended by participating Member Associations (MAs) and stakeholders, held at the SIFF Academy.

Choiseul, Isabel and Temotu are the three provinces that will not take part in this edition’s Youth Solomon Cup.

SIFF CEO Mr Joseph Boso said the competition will be played in a round robin format, meaning the team with the most wins and points will be crowned the champions.

SIFF also confirmed two venues for the Youth Solomon Cup saying games will be played at the SIFF Academy and Lawson Tama stadium.

The Youth Solomon Cup tournaments are being purposely held to select the training squad for the national under-16 and the national under-19 toward this year’s Oceania championships.

The Oceania Under-19 championship will be held in Pape’ete, Tahiti from May 26 to June 1 while Honiara will play host to the Oceania Under-16 Championship from September 8 to 22.

Meanwhile, opening matches for the U-19s today will see Makira Ulawa Province taking on Malaita Province at 1pm followed by Central Islands taking on Western Province at 2:30pm.

Final match for the U-19 category today will see Rennell and Bellona taking on Honiara while Guadalcanal is on bye.

Matches for the U-16 category will kick off 12pm tomorrow at the SIFF Academy and will see Western Province taking on Guadalcanal Province.

Central Province will take on Malaita at 1:10pm followed by the final match for tomorrow as Rennell and Bellona takes on Honiara at 3pm.

Matches for the Youth Solomon Cup will continue throughout the week except on Sunday.

Jap volunteers complete assignment, return home

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Ms Yoshiko Teratani and Mr Hirofuni Masui outside the JICA office in Honiara on Tuesday

By Mike Puia

Ms Yoshiko Teratani and Mr Hirofuni Masui outside the JICA office in Honiara on Tuesday

TWO more Japanese volunteers will begin their journey home today after two memorable years in the country.

Ms Yoshiko Teratani and Mr Hirofuni Masui, who have completed their assignments this month, arrived in the country in 2016 under the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) volunteer programme.

Teratani, a physical therapist, was posted to the Western Province to help in the Gizo hospital while Masui, who has a passion in supporting youth education, was posted to Buala in Isabel Province to help the Isabel Provincial Education Authority.

In their final meeting with members of the local media yesterday, both said their overall experience working and living in the country has been a great one.

Teratani said at first she was afraid of the people and was not comfortable getting to know people because of her inability to speak pijin.

But, she said as times goes on she started to get use to meeting and knowing people.

“The smile people gave me every time makes me don’t want to leave this country. People are so kind and full of smile,” Teratani said.

At Gizo hospital, she help provide therapy sessions to patients and also travel to communities in the province’s six zones, by powered canoe, rolling out the community base rehabilitation programme.

She conducted home exercise, teaches mothers on how to get their kids breath properly and many more.

For young Masui, he will miss Solomon Islands’ simple island life.

“This country is just beautiful, quiet and green with kind people,” Masui said.

He said former volunteers who visited this country encourages him to come to the Solomon Islands which he did.

Masui had visited most provinces as part of the work he’s doing here.

“I am so happy to have visited most part of this country. I love the people here. Sure, I’ll miss the people here a lot,” Masui said.

He added he count himself as “half Isabel” and he hopes to return to the country someday when there’s an opportunity.

Japanese volunteer received medal for her works

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Yoshiko Teratani showoff her medal

By Mike Puia

Yoshiko Teratani showoff her medal

YOSHIKO Teratani will return to her home country of Japan a satisfied woman.

Not only did she spend the last two years in Western Province, a spot in the country that is known for its beautiful scenes, but the work she did here received recognition in a big way.

Teratani is over 50 years of age and she comes from Osaka in Japan. She arrived in the country in 2016 as a volunteer under the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) volunteer programme.

Teratani, who ended her assignment this month, is a physical therapist. She was posted to the Western Province where she helped in the Gizo hospital’s Therapy Division.

Her job included providing therapy to patients at the hospital.

She travelled to schools conducting awareness and workshops and visited communities by boat delivering therapy advice.

In 2016, she was the official trainer for the Western provincial team (Western Turtles) that participated in the Solomon Games.

She proudly wears her official jacket she usually puts on during the sporting event when she had a final meeting with members of the local media in Honiara yesterday.

Teratani, who can speak little pijin, said a member of the team presented her his medal.

“When a team member gave me this medal I was so touched that I could not hold back my tears. The team member insisted, the support I rendered to the team deserve a medal,” Teratani recalls.

She said the treatment and respect people accorded to her is something she will always remember.

Teratani said the medal will always remind her of the service she rendered in the Solomon Islands.

USP SI campus hosts roadshow

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY BEN BILUA

THE University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Solomon Islands Campus is organising a three-day roadshow in Honiara to help students and school leavers who want to study at the university.

The roadshow kicked off yesterday beside the Honiara City Council Office and attracted lots of interested candidates who collected application forms and other important documents about the university.

Speaking to the media, Acting Director of USP Solomon Islands Campus Mrs Patricia Rodie said the roadshow is part of USP Solomon Islands Campus’s programme to provide information about the different courses and programmes the university is offering in the country.

She adds that the roadshow is aimed at providing greater opportunity for the general public to access the needed information before applying to study at the university.

Rodie said USP staffs are present at the roadshow to assist students who are not sure how to fill the forms.

“USP has hosted a similar road show on December last year and now we are hosting this programme again in preparation of our registration in the coming weeks.

“Our goal is to provide an opportunity for the public especially students to access the information and also can apply on the sport with the assistance of USP staffs.

“We want to bring our office closer to the people instead of sitting in our offices and rely on the internet or hand deliver applications,” she explained.

Rodie also said that the road show provides an avenue for the University to promote some of its new and also ongoing programmes.

SICCI applauds police and communities for peaceful festive season

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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THE Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SICCI) has thanked the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) for taking lead in ensuring a peaceful festive season over the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.

SICCI, on behalf of the Solomon Islands private sector acknowledged RSIPF’s high visibility and commitment to work during the festive season and the support and cooperation of communities.

RSIPF Supervising Commissioner Juanita Matanga last week pronounced this Christmas and New Year’s season being one of the quietest recorded by police with very good public behaviour.

SICCI Chair Jay Bartlett says it is evident that the good behaviour of the public is driven by RSIPF’s high visibility on the roads and communities over the past weeks.

“The business community is thankful for the commitment shown by our local police force. The Chamber maintains a high level of confidence in the RSIPF and will continue to support the role it plays in maintaining a peaceful society for Solomon Islanders,” said Mr Bartlett.

“This would not have been possible without the support of our community leaders and we would like to acknowledge and thank the cooperation shown by leaders in their respective communities.”

The Chair also extended SICCI’s acknowledgement to all public servants and essential service providers who continued to work throughout the festive season in ensuring that basic utilities and services are functioning, communities are kept safe by police and security firms, the sick are attended by doctors and nurses and the safe passage of travellers.

SICCI CEO Dennis Meone said the Chamber looks forward to another great year with the business community and the continued engagement with the national government and partnering stakeholders.

“Many milestones were achieved in 2017 and this year we look forward to working closely and collaborate with all our stakeholders in building a better Solomon Islands.”

–SICCI PRESS

CBSI clarifies media report on RSIPF’s credit union

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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THE Central Bank of the Solomon Islands has refuted reports in an Island Sun article by Mr Alfred Sasako on January 8, 2018, regarding the credit union of the Royal Solomon Islands police (RSIPCUL).

In a media statement yesterday, CBSI said that in the article, titled ‘Missing Police Credits’, there were references made to CBSI and to former CBSI Governor, who is now Solomon Islands Prime Minister, of ‘doing little or nothing about the situation’ in the Royal Solomon Islands Police Credit Union Limited (RSIPCUL).

“The references made about CBSI and its former governor are incorrect and misleading.”

CBSI explains: “As part of its oversight responsibility, CBSI through the Office of the Registrar of Credit Unions conducted a number of prudential onsite examinations on RSIPCUL ranging from all aspects of governance and operational risks to credit and liquidity risks, among others.

All its onsite examination findings, and risk mitigation strategies and recommendations were duly communicated to RSIPCUL Board and Management to address.

In addition to onsite examinations, the CBSI had also initiated two investigations, one in 1998 and one in 2017, as well as held quarterly bilateral consultations with RSIPCUL executives to help stabilise RSIPCUL.

Some actions that the Office of the Registrar of Credit Unions and CBSI took included suspension of RSIPCUL Board of Directors, suspension of all credit union committees, removal of some directors through a special AGM, suspension of RSIPCUL operations, and removal of RSIPCUL management.

Similarly, the CBSI had also been providing an interim administration of RSIPCUL operations and assisted RSIPCUL stabilise its cash-flow situation and, in September of 2017, had called for a special AGM for RSIPCUL members to elect new board of directors, members to the supervisory committee, and members to the credit committee to oversee the administration of RSIPCUL going forward.

The RSIPCUL was registered in 1988 under the Credit Unions Act Cap 165 and the Standard By-Laws 1987.

It is one of the largest active credit unions in Solomon Islands where its assets grew from $3,904 in 1988 to $8.5 million in 2017.

The Office of the Registrar of Credit Unions and CBSI will continue to provide oversight surveillance on RSIPCUL and on all registered credit unions in the country as part of its stability mandate.

Bus protest seen unfair for taxis

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Chairman of the Taskforce responsible for the bus routes Hon Eddie Ngava

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

AS public bus owners are protesting against Honiara City Council (HCC) over the new bus routes bus fare, taxi services see the bus move as unfair for them.

Speaking with anonymity, concerned taxi drivers said that it is good that HCC has enforced the new bus routes to sort out the unnecessary short routes which is a major contributor to the current traffic jam daily experienced affecting their services.

“We see what bus owners are doing but they should also be mindful of the fact that we are only operating under HCC’s jurisdiction.

“What HCC is trying do is to give the best service for the public in which from the new routines enforced will also help taxi services from being affected from usual traffic jams contributed by the short bus route practice.”

Taxi services believe that even if public bus transports follow the new routes enforced, they will still gain profit from $3’s bus fare.

Chairman of the Taskforce responsible for the bus routes Hon Eddie Ngava said HCC’s move to enforce new bus routes in the capital is to help other rules or Acts of the National Government being enforced.

“We also want to help the health sector, tourism industry and other sectors,” said the Chairman.

MOU on the integration of Poha Bridge soon

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

THE Ministry of Infrastructure Development and landowners within Poha area will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the integration of Poha Bridge in West Guadalcanal.

The MOU was rescheduled to January 5, 2018 after it failed in December last year due to minor alterations landowners wanted to include in the MOU.

Director Acting for CPIU under MID, Mr Jabin Laedola said yesterday that currently both parties waiting one of the signatory, former MP Mr Siriako Usa, who is overseas, to arrive before both parties sign the MOU.

However, last year Laedola said the project will be on the protection of the eastern bank of the bridge.

He said there will be cardiant basket constructed 100 metres both up and down the river from the bridge to shield the river-bank.

Laedola said the purpose is to protect the river bank from any possible risk the river might incur on the bridge.

He said the duration of the project is three month and it will be constructed by Capital Construction Company.

Laedola said the total cost of the project is about $SBD2.6 million and the fund has been sourced (funded) under the National Transport Fund.

In the same occasion last year a rep from the construction company who was also presented assured that as long as the MOU sign they should started with the work.

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