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Police Commissioner refutes claims by journalist Sasako

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

POLICE Commissioner Mostyn Mangau has refuted claims by journalist Alfred Sasako accusing the police boss of losing a report on the assassination plot on Prime Minister Sogavare.

Mr Mangau said he has not received any report as alluded to by Mr Sasako.

“At no time has my office received such a report as mentioned by the author. However, the National Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) of the Royal Solomon Island Police Force (RSIPF) is currently investigating the matter,” Mangau said.

Sasako in a letter to Island Sun over the weekend has described articles published by the paper last week as “a bundle of lies” [See letter to the editor on page 6].

One of the articles he attacked, titled – Sasako invited by police for questioning over his article ‘Top Secret Out’ – reported on Commissioner Mangau telling a press conference that police had ‘invited’ Sasako for questioning over his media article claiming an assassination plot against prime minister Sogavare.

Sasako claimed Commissioner Mangau was given detailed briefings with supporting document on the assassination plot during weekly security briefings.

He said the reason the two CID officers had wanted to see him was that their boss had “lost” the report on the assassination plot.

“The second article appeared last Friday. It is a report which appears to be based on Commissioner Mostyn Mangau’s weekly news conference the day before.

“Nothing the commissioner said could be further from the truth.

“Indeed, if the news article written by Island Sun was a true account of what Commissioner Mangau had said, then the Commissioner was deliberate in his intent to mislead the people of Solomon Islands and to tarnish my name.

“At best the Commissioner’s statement was deliberately designed to mislead and to cast doubt on my character as a potential candidate in the upcoming national general election.

“Can you imagine a police commissioner entrusted with top secret reports but failed in his duty to do the right thing?” Sasako said in his letter.

MEDI is not taking over MPG: Fini

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Premier of Malaita province, Hon Martin Gaote’e Fini.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

PREMIER of Malaita Martin Fini says the Malaita Economic Development Initiative (MEDI) is not taking over MPG but providing support to his government.

He made the clarification during his keynote address yesterday, responding to critics in social media claiming that MPG has been delegated its roles and functions by MEDI, a cabinet established subcommittee.

“I would like to clarify to the people of Malaita that the roles and functions of MPG will not be taken over, replaced or even duplicated.

“Although the critics were implying that my MNGFR is currently engaged in negotiating some forms of devolution of powers to MEDI under section 29 and 30 of the PG Action 1997.

“Let me assure you that this is not happening and will not happen,” Fini said.

He explained that MPG engaged the technical expertise of MEDI to support the capacity of his government on its redirection policy to deliver within the 11th hour.

Saying this is especially on areas of negotiating, settlement and discharging of key fundamental interventions under section 29 and 30 of Provincial Government Act (PGA) 1997.

He adds, other areas include legal advice, commerce, strategic planning and policy development, project appraisal and development to support the normal functions and responsibilities of MPG and partners.

He said these are the expertise and support MNGFR gets through MEDI.

Fini labels Honiara tour as ‘fruitful’

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Premier of Malaita province, Hon Martin Gaote’e Fini.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Malaita’s new premier Martin Fini has described his engagement with the national government and donors as ‘fruitful’.

Fini and his delegation were in Honiara last week.

The 17-man delegation had set the scene for development through engagement and dialogue for Malaita province, Fini said.

“I am pleased with the outcome of my recent delegation’s engagement and dialogue with the national government and member of international donor partners in Honiara.

“Our first engagement and dialogue were with the government of Japan through her Ambassador to Solomon Islands, in which the ambassador received us with open arms.

“The meeting with Japan was successful and Japan has indicated that they are willing and ready to engage,” he said.

Fini said the second meeting was with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and his government.

“That the meeting too was successful and set the scene for future engagement and dialogue on many unsettled issues of the province.”

He said Sogavare was very gracious in accepting the delegation and pledged full support of his government to work closely with MNGFR.

Fini said the third meeting was with Australia and it was also a successful meeting as it paved the way for future engagement and dialogue.

He said the fourth meeting and final engagement and dialogue was with the PRC.

“His Excellency, the ambassador of China to SI described the meeting as a historic one given the attitude and treatment accorded to PRC by the previous regime.

“The ambassador used the opportunity also to clear a lot of misinformation about RPC’s interest in developing our infrastructure.

“Like all the previous meetings, this successful meeting has paved the way for future engagement and dialogue.

“PRC is pleased that the intervention by the MNGFR is finally speaking the international language for development,” Fini said.

MHMS to revise mental health policy

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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Chief Executive Officer of the National Referral Hospital Dr George Malefoasi.

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

MINISTRY of health and medical services (MHMS) is looking at revising its mental health policy and bringing it to cabinet following increasing number of individuals suffering from psychotic mental disorders.

This was confirmed by Chief Executive Officer of the National Referral Hospital Dr George Malefoasi.

“Due to increasing number of youth, men and women suffering from neurotic and psychotic mental disorders. Especially depression among youths, the revised mental health policy is due for cabinet consideration calls for multi-sectoral approach in caring, promoting and protection of mentally illness in the country,” Malefoasi said.

He said some relatives have shown willingness to support the psychiatric department in contributing to the welfare of the psychiatric patients.

“That said, plan is in place for Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) and NRH to build the proposed new Mental Health Acute ward well before the Games in November. This project has been approved since 2021 but couldn’t start due to Covid 19 and due to payment process delays,” Malefoasi said.

“The new mental health acute ward will make available five beds for acute patients, and one for very critical patients needing isolation and management. So we are working on this now,” he said.

Malefoasi confirmed that the ward will be built next to the current day clinic and NRH psychiatric unit next to the old morgue site.

Mala to pass $33m budget this week.

Written by
Samie Waikori
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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

MALAITA Provincial Assembly is gearing to pass the 2023/2024 original budget estimate of $33, 469, 196 by Friday this week.

The new financial year begins on Saturday, April 1

In light of that, the assembly was convened where the budget was presented by provincial minister for finance, Randol Sifoni on the floor of assembly yesterday.

Going through the budget, Sifoni said the budget estimate as follows;

  • total revenue budget summary is estimated at $33, 469, 196
  • The total expenditure budget summary is estimated at $33, 469, 196
  • The total recurrent revenue for financial year 2023/2024 is estimated at $19, 571, 109

He said from the total recurrent revenue, MPG estimated its local revenue to contribute around $6, 483, 421, SIG through service grant to contributes 11, 997, 656, timber right hearing of $300, 000, MPGIS second appointed day fund of 30, 000, supports to WDC by Integrated Economic Development and Community Resilience (IEDCR) program of 700, 920 ad IEDCR annual fees of 59, 112.

Adding that from the difference of total recurrent revenue less total recurrent expenditure figures, MPG anticipated a surplus of $6, 422, 700 to cover for the ward funded projects.

He said the total original recurrent expenditure for financial year 2023/2024 is estimated at $13, 148, 409.

The disbursement of these expenditures covers core expenditure levels of the provincial government and they are.

  • Salary and wage, $7, 284, 622
  • Consultancy cost, $1, 396, 755
  • Operational cost, $2, 717, 032
  • Assembly and Executive expenditure, $875, 000
  • Debt Servicing, $450, 000
  • Repairs and Maintenance, $425, 000

The total original capital revenue is $13, 898, 087.

Sifoni furthered that MPG has a new PCDF allocation of SBD4, 686, 139, commitment carried forward of SBD1, 166, 925, IEDCR new allocation of SBD2, 886, 869, commitment carried forward of SBD312, 409, UNPD new allocation SBD, 218, 396, commitment carried forward of SBD627, 349 and SIG Youth funding of SBD3,000, 000.

He said on the original capital expenditure, the province plans to spend a total of SBD13, 898, 087 for the fiscal year including ward funded projects of SBD6, 422, 700, totaled to SBD20, 320, 787.

CERVICAL CANCER ALARM

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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SIPPA Executive Director Ben Angoa and IPPF Director-General Dr Alvaro Bermejo.

SIPPA and health authorities urge women to test amid growing cases

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

The number of cervical cancer cases in the country has grown – silently.

SIPPA and health authorities are sounding the alarm calling on women to voluntarily come forward for testing.

The age of vulnerability has lowered. Now women as young as 30 years old are at risk.

The main message is the earlier a case is detected the better the chances of treatment.

With the high rate of cases and low turn-out for testing, the country’s Planned Parenthood Association (SIPPA) and national referral hospital (NRH) are urging women to break the barrier and voluntarily come forward to clinics, hospitals and SIPPA clinics for testing.

“Last year SIPPA screened only about 77 women,” SIPPA Executive Director Ben Angoa revealed at a press conference last week.

He explains this low turn-out was due to last year’s covid-19 transmission in the country.

However, starting February this year, the number of women turning up for voluntary testing is slowly climbing, he adds.

He says this trend must continue.

“It is confidential, but I must say we have quite a number of diagnoses and the number is increasing. It is really an issue that people of Solomon Islands need to really consider as well as the Government.

“As of this year starting February the number of women seeking Visual Inspection of Cervix (VIA) is slowly increasing, women accessing VIA.

“This programme is really helpful. We are hoping that when women hear about screening, they will definitely seek our available services because it is a serious issue affecting women now in the Solomon Islands.

“Currently we are servicing the elder women from 30 years and above. We don’t have any diagnoses recorded for ages below and above 18,” Angoa said.

He explains that VIA cancer screening is one of SIPPA’s priority programmes which it is helping the Ministry of Health (MHMS) to roll out in ‘unreached populations’ in the rural areas.

“Cancer is on the rise and really affecting our women and the only way that we can help them is doing VIA screening, and what we do now is we start expanding our services to other provinces and SIPPA is training its nurses for them to become confident and specialised on that area of screening.

“Now all our nurse are trained, we have support from IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation), the Niu Vaka strategy, we have other partners like Safe Aid so we have a group of partners that are supporting us to roll out this programme.

“Now only SIPPA is doing this service apart from the Ministry of Health. We are also supporting the government in reaching out to the most unreached population.”

IPPF Director-General Dr Alvaro Bermejo who visited the country last week said the cancer screening service is vital in this region of the world which has higher rates of cervical cancer.

“The new technology really allows us to prevent maternal deaths better and we are delighted to see the progress that they made in the SIPPA’s outreach programme into the communities,” Bermejo said.

NRH CEO Dr George Malefoasi last week also reiterated the call for women across the country to come forward for testing.

Malefoasi explains that there is no mass testing due to cultural barriers, and that testing is done only on women who come forward voluntarily.

He adds that treatments are available, some in country and others can be accessed overseas.

“Cancer treatments available are surgical and chemotherapy.

“Hormonal and radiotherapy is also one but currently not available in the country.

“Earlier we diagnose and intervene, the better the outcome,” he said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) website, symptoms of cervical cancer are as follows:

Early-stage cervical cancer symptoms:

-irregular blood spotting or light bleeding between periods in women of reproductive age;

-postmenopausal spotting or bleeding;

-bleeding after sexual intercourse; and

-increased vaginal discharge, sometimes foul smelling.

As cervical cancer advances, more severe symptoms may appear including:

-persistent back, leg or pelvic pain;

-weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite;

-foul-smell discharge and vaginal discomfort; and

-swelling of a leg or both lower extremities.

Elderly men urged to seek medical advice on prostate cancer signs

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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NRH CEO Dr George Malefoasi. Photo by GCU

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO 

ELDERLY men have been encouraged to seek medical advice if faced with difficulties when passing urine or see blood in urine.

Chief Executive Officer of the National Referral Hospital Dr George Malefoasi says, “With prostate cancer, elderly men encouraged to seek advice if difficulties with passing urine or see blood in the urine is experienced.”

He said clinics, the National Referral hospital and private practitioners are currently offering service for prostate cancer screening.

“Through clinical examination like rectal examination suspected cases of blood test can be sent overseas to confirm if the person has prostate cancer.”

Malefoasi said some of the prostate cancer pre-warning signs are aging/hesitancy – trouble urinating/ blood.

“Prostate cancer warning signs, may not be easy to detect early, but patients should present early and if have family history should be vigilant. Affects mostly ages more than 50 years old.”

He said for individual contracting prostate cancer it can be confirmed through rectal examination, blood test – PSA and Med imaging – CT scan.

Malefoasi treatment available in the country are surgical and chemotherapy.

“Radiotherapy is not-available.”

Isabel leaders call on Mines to stop playing ‘consultant’

Written by
Ben Bilua
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BY BEN BILUA

Leaders in Isabel province are calling on the ministry of Mines to stop playing the role of consultant in a controversial mining operation there.

A full scale operation is underway at Suma in Bugotu area Isabel Province following an agreement signed between Solomon Islands Resources Company Limited (SIRCL) and some landowners.

According to reports, Environment Impact Assessment carried out had failed twice but the Ministry is pushing to please the government’s ambition and that is to launch a full-scale mining operation in Isabel.

The report adds that there is no agreement of benefit sharing, let alone a failed term and condition agreement between the company and the landowners – meaning the investor and the government is running away with the benefits.

To date already SIRCL have about 90,000 plus wet metric tonnes of extracted nickel ore at 1.5% nickel to 2% nickel at their designated stock piles at their Suma Mining Project in which to date putting more pressure on Mines Division.

It is said that all the mess behind Isabel Nickel Project is driven by the government through the Ministry of Mines and Energy for acting like a consultation company rather than an institution established to respect the law of the country when comes to fulfilling process according to legal procedures.

Report has it that the push towards fast tracking the nickel mining operation is for economic growth and development of Solomon Islands – a move spearheaded by the Ministry of Mines and Energy without thorough check to make sure everyone including the landowners and other stakeholders are involved.

It states that Mines Division is implementing an “in-country Nickel Mineral Processing and Extraction Project but sadly, there is no involvement of resource owners and that makes the proposed ambition unpopular.

Internal dialogue is currently underway between the Director of Mines and Deputy Director of Mines and mines officials in liaison with Commissioner of Lands to appointing an Acquisition Officer aiming at conducting a brand new land acquisition for all customary land areas being earmarked for nickel mining developments – A process established to invade the EIA process as EIA process failed twice.

While the development will certainly boost the country’s economy, Isabel leaders fear that the project will be similar to bauxite development in Rennell where landowners are still waiting for their benefits.

Isabel leaders now calls on the Ministry of Mines and Energy to stop acting like a consultation company and start doing what is right.

Nickel deposit in Isabel ‘sold like hot cake’

Written by
Ben Bilua
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BY BEN BILUA

NEW reports have emerged that the Nickel deposit in Isabel has been sold like hot cake at the expense of landowners and innocent people who will be affected by the mining operations.

More controversial arrangements have emerged as information regarding the mining operation at Suma and other proposed mining operation in Isabel province continues to come to public.

Early this week, this paper published a similar article stating that the process which led to the granting of mining licence to the company that operates at Suma was done without satisfying the country’s law.

On Monday, it was identified that Solomon Island Resources Company Limited (SIRC) was the company operating at Suma tenement – one of the nickel rich deposits on the Island.

Yesterday, new information states that the owner of Solomon Islands Resources Company Limited has sold its share to Win Win Mining Company Limited.

Report states that Solomon Islands Resources Company Limited now owns another PL over South East San Jorge under a new company name FAR EAST.

These report reconfirmed that Win Win Mining Company is the company currently operating at Suma Tenement.

Report has it that the landowners of Suma tenement objected to proposal for Win Win to be granted the prospecting license during a meeting with the Mines and Mineral Board but to their surprise the government rejects the resolution.

Knowing that the landowners will not accept Win Win, the government granted Solomon Islands Resources Company Limited (SIRCL) the mining license little that the landowner knew that SIRCL will later sold its shares to Win Win hiding behind a different company name.

It seems that the transfer of shares between Solomon Islands Resource Company Limited and Win Win was done without consulting the landowners and it is the very reason why there is no legal agreements which includes benefit sharing reached for mining operation at Suma.

Latest report states that SIRCL have 90,000 plus wet metric tons of extracted nickel ores at 1.5% nickel to 2% nickel at their designated stock piles at their Suma Mining Project.

The pressure in on the Ministry of Mines and Energy (Mines Department) for export permit.

Scholars and prominent leaders of Isabel province are seeking clarification from the Ministry of Mines and Energy for the mess the Ministry created.

The question is, who is behind all these mess? Is it the ministry? The government? The politician? The landowners?

Malaria and diarrhoea cases increase in Auki

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Auki provincial town of Malaita.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI clinic has over the past weeks reported an increase in malaria and diarrhoea cases in certain communities within Auki.

A statement from the clinic said there is increase in cases for both diseases in certain communities within Auki town, and the trend is stable.

It said according to data gathered, the increase is beyond normal data the clinic usually collects.

The clinic warns people to take appropriate measures to avoid the disease.

It said given the situation that the province is running low on drugs, it will be a challenge to control these rise in cases.

There are also reports of similar increases in rural health clinics around Auki town.

Supervising Director of Malaita province health, Dr David Danitofea said yesterday that his office is yet to be fully made aware of these increases in malaria and diarrhoea cases, but says people are asked to take control measures.

He said people must take up responsibility to make sure their homes are clean and apply hygiene practices at all times.

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