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Covid-19 awareness in Malaita continues

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Chairman of EOC Malaita who also the Director of Malaita Provincial Health Authority, Dr Rex Maukera.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

CHAIRMAN of EOC Malaita, Dr Rex Maukera said the province’s awareness programme about covid-19 is continuing.

Recently, communities in Central Kwara’ae requested continued updates to the current covid-19 situation.

Maukera told this paper yesterday the Provincial Risk Community and Red Cross teams are ready and have been providing covid-19 awareness to communities in the past weeks.

“Awareness program is an integral part of the current covid-19 operation to reach out to communities and inform them about covid-19 or the current situation.

“Sometimes we received invitation for awareness from communities and responded while we also provide awareness to communities with high covid-19 cases.

“The awareness programme is important to empower people to understand what to do amidst the current situation,” Maukera said.

On that note, he thanked Malaita Red Cross team in partnership with the provincial health for covid-19 awareness program they continue to provide to the communities.

Maukera said at the moment the focus of the awareness program is for central region, and they are planning to reach to other regions with the program.

He said although they face setbacks like logistic, they are planning get across to communities with the covid-19 awareness program.

Japan to fund equipment for bomb response here

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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Group photo after the signing between the Government of Japan and RSIPF EOD team yesterday

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

THE government and people of Japan sealed an agreement with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal in providing financial support for the provision to assisting unexploded ordnance (UXO) operations in Solomon Islands to reduce lives lost.

The total grant assistance is about SBD$6,267,000 with the aim to reinforcing EOD team through the provision of purchasing equipment for response to UXO and awareness program not only to reduce lives lost but also reducing the number of people affected and economic damage and increase the area of safe land available for food production and other socio-economic activities.

Acting Ambassador of Japan Norimasa Yoshida said the purpose of this project is reinforcing EOD team through providing necessary equipment such as excavator, specialized vehicles, and conduct awareness program.

Mr Tunuki from EOD and Acting Ambassador Yoshida signed to sealed an agreement of the project for UXO disposal

“We will provide equipment such as excavator, vehicles and boats required for treatment of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). The total amount of assistance reaches about 6,267,000(six million two hundred sixty-seven thousand) Solomon dollars.  This assistance will enable the EOD team to develop the capacity to deal with residual UXO threats,” Yoshida said.

He said in Solomon Islands, a number of people are killed or injured by UXO every year, UXO continues to be a major obstacle to socio-economic development of Solomon Islands.

“Japan is fully aware that UXO is the important and urgent issues to be addressed and tries to solve it with EOD and other partners such as the United States and Australia closely,” Yoshida said.

“I strongly hope this project will contribute to the development of Solomon Islands through ensuring the safety of the land in rural communities.”

Yoshida adds by congratulating EOD team for the official approval and it is a great honour to support the development of EOD capacity within the RSIPF.

Officer Tunuki Officer in Charge of EOD said this UXO support project in conjunction with the continuous training, advising, mentoring and other support from Australia will ensure that RSIPF EOD remains capable of dealing with explosive ordinance.

“It will provide the capacity to increase UXO activities in remote provinces and ultimately assist with supporting the future UXO survey of Solomon Islands,” Tunuki said.

He said this UXO support project will also augment the Solomon Islands whole of government initiative to the UXO problem and will greatly assist with future expansion of the EOD team.

“Indeed this is another milestone of support. I wish to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation and thank you to the government of Japan through the Embassy office for this generous support and assistance to RSIPF EOD capability.”

Vaccination continues in Auki

Written by
Samie Waikori
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Relocation of Central Field Vaccination centre from NDMO office to Auki town adjacent to Auki Magistrate Court.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

Auki’s Central field vaccination centre at the NDMO office has relocated into the heart of Auki town and began operation yesterday.

The relocation of the centre is for the travelling public to access the service with ease rather than going up to NDMO office which is some distance from the town.

Chairman of EOC for covid-19 Malaita, Dr Rex Maukera told this to the paper yesterday.

“Vaccination has begun in Auki town and will continue for the generation public especially eligible population.

“With that, I would like to call on those who are yet to get their vaccines to do so to protect everyone from covid-19 as face with the current situation,” he said.

Maukera said this is important so that the provincial populace can be shielded should there be second wave.

On that note, he said the Pfizer and booster vaccines are yet in Honiara and will also roll out in the province as long as they arrive in Auki.

He warned that although the virus is portraying signs of reverse from the province, the virus is still out there and everyone must take their jab.

This paper witnessed good number of people had got their jabs during the first day of vaccination yesterday.

Wale urges gov’t to attend to plight of Shortlanders

Written by
Press Release
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Opposition leader, Matthew Wale

OPPOSITION leader Matthew Wale has called on the government to urgently address the humanitarian situation in the Shortland Islands.

Wale said recent media reports of people crossing the border from Shortlands to Bougainville in search of food supplies is a great concern.

He said it is sad that our people in Shortlands have been pleading for government help three weeks ago but fell on deaf ears, and have now crossed the border in search of food.

“The current situation in Shortlands is a concern that is not only faced by people there but everywhere in the country especially the remote parts of the country,” he said.

The Opposition leader said the National Government should negotiate appropriate cross border protocols with PNG and Bougainville to properly manage border crossings for our people in Shortlands and also in Malaita Outer Islands.

Wale said the Government should not neglect the fact that our people have traditional ties with people of Bougainville and trading between the islands had always been part of their source of survival.

“I am urging the government to address this issue with urgency,” he said.

The Opposition leader reiterated his earlier statement cautioning the Government to avoid a humanitarian crisis at all costs.

“In one of my recent statements to the government, I have raised the need for the government to address food supply in the remote areas in our provinces.

“My call was ignored because there were either no plans or pure negligence,” Wale said.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Leader also acknowledged Bougainville police for their understanding in allowing the smooth facilitation of our people on humanitarian grounds.

Beck defends Chinese police

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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Chinese Police Officers demonstrating their public order management skills

By EDDIE OSIFELO

MINISTRY of Foreign Affairs and External Trade has defended the Chinese Police Liaison Team currently providing training for local police officers.

A former Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands James Batley told Radio Australia involvement of Chinese officials in training local police is setting off alarm bells in Canberra.

The move from Beijing follows last year’s violent riots which targeted Chinese-owned businesses in the capital, Honiara.

Batley, who led the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands and now a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the Australian National University, said the Canberra is watching development closely.

However, Permanent Secretary Beck told reporters yesterday first thing first, no one has monopoly of knowledge.

“We should not go into ideological discussion on it,” he said.

Beck said Solomon Islands has been sending students to China and all forms of democratic governments.

He said the Government also sent more than 80 medical students to Cuba.

“I think I want to register it is unfortunate that anyone to start to make judgement because it come from one particular country, then we are very particular about that.

“We must look at everything we deal with it, even for our police force from our national perspective,” he said.

“Do we need to build capacity?

“Do we need to increase capability?” he asked.

“If other countries are not giving and equipping us with the capabilities, we need to find solutions.

“So, it is unfortunate that some of our close friends have some opinions on that,” he added.

“I think we can just probably note it, but what matters to us is basically we need everyone.

“I think follow our foreign policy, we have cooperation’s with Australia, China and other countries that continue to come and support us,” he added.

Bartley said Australia has been a major, perhaps the major security partner for Solomon Islands and that’s going back into the 1980s, 1990s.”

He said China is a new player giving assistance but it’s very small scale at this stage, with only a handful of personnel.

He said Australia will be watching since China has a different tradition on policing.

DCGA has mandate to extend life of parl, says PM’s adviser

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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National Parliament of Solomon Islands

By EDDIE OSIFELO

SPECIAL Secretary to Prime Minister, Albert Kabui says it is not a legal requirement to carry out public consultation on the government’s proposed extension of Parliament from 4 to 5 years.

Kabui told reporters yesterday that the Government can come up with any policy without consultation because it has the legal mandate to do that.

Attorney General John Muria Junior also supported the sentiment.

Muria Junior said there is no constitutional provision to carry out consultation.

He said Government only do consultation because of “good practice”.

Government plans to extend life of Parliament to five years because next year’s national elections will clash with the Pacific Games, which Honiara is hosting.

It said the country does not have the resources, logistics and man power to host both events.

Kabui said Cabinet is still to make any decision on the two options – to amend a clause in the Constitution to extend life of the current House or amend the Constitution for permanent extension.

Opposition leader Mathew Wale earlier expressed strong objections to the proposal.

Wale told reporters extending the life of parliament “is self-serving” because there is no consultation with people – the electorate.

“We adopt constitutional parliamentary democracy,  our system of government is a representative democracy, and the basis of representative democracy is government by consent – people consent leaders by voting them into parliament to represent them.

“So, we view this as a serious breach of trust with people, but it does not surprise us because this is the government that loses the trust of people in this country,” Wale said.

However, Kabui argue that if you at preamble of Constitution, it starts with all powers belong to the people, but vested in the Executive, Judiciary and legislator

He said people exercised power during election day and chose people to represent them in Parliament.

“And once they become ministers or part of Cabinet then they represent them in Cabinet as well.

“So, the three arms of Government are established by Constitution, Cabinet is responsible to Parliament,” he explained.

But Kabui said Cabinet has the legal mandate to make policy while Parliament was mandated to make laws.

“These legal mandates are given to them on elections day.

“Which means whenever Cabinet likes to come up with any government policies where it thinks fit, they have the mandate of the people by way of being elected, which is the Executive,” he said.

“That is how government makes policies, no need to go back to people every time it wants to change its policies,” he said.

In the current proposal, Kabui said the Government has consulted with the Premiers, Solomon Islands Christian Association, Solomon Islands Full Gospel Association and Solomon Islands Chambers of Commerce and Industries.

Furthermore, Kabui said it is constitutional because it provides for Parliament mandate to make laws in Section 59, while Section 61 provides for the alteration of the Constitution.

He said since independence, Government has made 10 Constitutional changes.

Parliament will need two thirds majority to amend the clause in the Constitution.

The current Sogavare government has the number to do that.

Renbel reports new covid-19 cases

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

Renbel province has reported new covid-19 cases.

Bellona island has registered 22 new cases, Dr Yogesh Choudhri, technical advisor to the Ministry of Health (MHMS) told Island Sun yesterday.

Island Sun, meanwhile, last night received report that a further seven new cases were detected taking the total new cases to 29.

This is yet to be confirmed by the Health ministry.

There are also reports from Bellona frontlines that initial covid-19 cases have now recovered, although a figure is yet to be announced.

Speaking to the paper earlier yesterday, Choudhri said: “An additional 22 new covid-19cases has been recorded for Renbel province. The total case count in Renbel now stands at 34.”

Bellona’s covid-19 sub-committee says among the new cases is a frontliner.

“The medical team had further tested 37 individuals. The number included 29 persons from the communities on the island, 3 from the front-liners and 5 individuals who travel over from Honiara on Thursday 3rd March  and Tuesday 8th March, respectively, and came up with the following results:  29 new positive cases and 8 negative tests.

“Only one of the three front-liners that were tested was identified to have contracted the virus, whiles all 5 passengers that flew over from Honiara were negative.

“The new results now takes the number of positive cases on the island to 41 positive cases out of 61 tests.

“The results pointed to a very high transmission of the virus on Bellona and this is very worrying.”

Malaita’s covid-19 cases stand at 959

Written by
Samie Waikori
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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

Chairperson of EOC Malaita, Dr Rex Maukera has told this paper that as of yesterday covid-19 cases for the province stood at 959 active cases.

He said the figure presented cases from all regions in the province and most of them are from communities.

Maukera said out of this total figure, 339 cases are recovering while 620 cases still active with stable and mild status and very few are in critical condition.

He said at Kilu’ufi hospital they have nine cases in the isolation, two critical cases, two severe and five moderate cases.

Maukera said Malu’u hospital also has two cases in isolation, one critical and one severe cases.

He said there is no covid-19 death for the province within the last 48hrs. The province’s total covid-19 related death so far is 19 deaths.

Maukera said since the outbreak in Auki, at no time the daily record of cases has shown stable or decline of number of cases for the province 

He said the transmission still remains and people are asked to continue uphold covid-19 measures, although indications showing the virus started to reverse for the province.

Documents to be filed on case of man accused of lewd act

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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In-court

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE pre-trial conference document in relation to the case of a man accused of forcing his wife to have sex with her ex-boyfriend will be filed to court to allow the listing committee of the High Court to set a trial date on the accused’s case.

Defence lawyer Daniel Kwalai told the court that he and the prosecutor have already filed the PTC document and are going to file the documents to the court in the afternoon.

High Court judge Leonard Maina then adjourned the case to March 28, 2022 for mention and for confirmation of trial date.

This is the case of a 54-year-old faced with one count of Compelled Sexual Intercourse contrary to Section 136 G (a) & b of the Penal Code Cap 26, as amended by the Penal Code (Amendment) (Sexual Offence) Act 2016.

Prosecution said the incident occurred on the night of March 9, 2020 at the Bonege Beach area, where the accused forced his wife to have sexual intercourse without her consent and knowing about or being reckless as to the lack of consent

Prosecution said prior to the offending the victim with his wife and the accused with his wife boarded the same bus and went back to their home village at Vura,  West Guadalcanal. During that time, the victim who was an ex-boyfriend of the accused’s wife had been drinking alcohol.

On their way down to their home village, the accused’s wife dropped off from the vehicle at Bonege area saying she wanted to visit her daughter who lived there.

The accused with the victim and his wife then left on the same vehicle to Vura further down in the North West Guadalcanal to drop off the victim’s wife.

 After dropping off the victim’s wife at Vura, the accused came back to Bonege with the victim and continued having few beers till late night.

Prosecution also said on the evening they were all telling stories together before the victim (wife’s ex-boyfriend) went to a small house to sleep over for the night.

It was when the victim went to sleep the accused took his wife and forced her to have sex with the victim.

Prosecution said that the accused’s wife also revealed that the victim was her ex-boyfriend, they used to be in a relationship when they were young but that was their past life and not now.

Telekom service resumes on Bellona

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

Telecommunication service has resumed on Bellona island, Renbel province.

On Tuesday this week, the Our Telekom tower which had reportedly been down for five months, was fixed.

Island Sun understands that Our Telekom sent two of its technicians on Tuesday this week to Bellona to fix the tower’s problems.

Posts of relief and appreciation from Renbel citizens were posted on social media.

Speaking to Island Sun on Tuesday, jubilant members of public on Bellona expressed happiness over the service’s resumption.

“We are happy the Telekom tower is fixed. We can now call our family and friends in Honiara and other provinces, and they can also contact us,” one tells the paper.

“We have struggled so much during the past five months when the tower was down.

“And, when covid-19 was announced in mid January, we were worried for our families in Honiara but could not contact them, nor they us.

“Worse, when covid-19 entered Bellona, we could not communicate with our family and friends outside.”

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