The Native Iowan

George is a long time aparatchick and a close cousin to the PM… I wonder what is a foot when a long time crony like George gets the ax…

Foreign Affairs PS fired

FOREIGN Affairs and External Trade permanent secretary George Hiele has been reportedly terminated from office, sources within the ministry say.

However, the ministry has played down Mr Hiele’s removal stating that he was reshuffled to take up his new post in the Western Province as the provincial secretary.
Reasons behind his sacking are unknown but it is understood he vacated office Friday last week.

The Solomon Star understands Mr Hiele was replaced by trade expert and former Solomon Islands ambassador to Brussels Robert Sisilo.

Mr Sisilo was a former foreign affairs secretary in Nauru as well as the former Pacific Islands Forum permanent representative at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva.

It is understood the decision has not go down well with some top officials within the ministry as well as Mr Hiele.

The Solomon Star contacted Mr Hiele yesterday but he refused to comment.

“I have no comments,” Mr Hiele said in a harsh tone and hanged up before the Solomon Star could ask him questions.

The source said Mr Hiele’s removal has shocked a lot of officers within the ministry itself as Mr Hiele is one of the longest serving and well-respected officers in the public service.

“The choice of appointing or reshuffling permanent secretaries is the prerogative of the prime minister and his ministers but we understand this is not the case,” the source said.

According to the source, the move to eliminate Mr Hiele was orchestrated by some senior appointees within the ministry.

The Solomon Star could not get comments from the newly appointed Mr Sisilo or the Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Shanel because they left for Port Moresby to attend a ministerial meeting yesterday.

The Solomon Star understands in the past permanent secretaries are appointed by the Public Service Commission.

But in recent years, permanent secretaries have become the prerogative of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet ministers.

Therefore, with the country’s political system in which the ruling Government is not always stable, permanent secretaries posts are not always stable as well, although past Governments prefer not to make any changes when they come into power.

Last month two of the female permanent secretaries, Jane Waitara and Mylyn Kuve were also replaced.

Man who allegedly raped disable woman bailed

The man who allegedly raped a disable teenage distant relative at a village in Ranoggah, Western Province was released on bail.

This was after his lawyer made a successful bail application yesterday in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court.

The man who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim was charged with two counts of rape.

This was for the alleged incidents between December 1 and 31, 2010 and between June 1 and 31, this year.

The accused was remanded in custody at Gizo, Western Province but his case was heard here in Honiara Magistrate’s Court.

He was released on a principal bail of $400 and will be facing the Gizo Magistrate’s Court on July 25.

Anderson Kesaka of the Public Solicitor’s Office is representing the accused.

So not very much to report…

Per this item: As the terribly corrupt and ineffective government led by my old buddy, Danny Philip, continues to terminate its senior administrators, one can only wonder “who’s watching the cookie jar”… if 14 senior level administrators are removed from 24 ministries there must be a vacuum…

or is that the intent? What could be construed as a move to clean things up may well be a move to remove any controls what so ever?

Note that Mark Kemakeza is still a respected member of the Danny Philip government.

PM orders sacking

Missing 10 found

The two young boys who were amongst the 10 people found off Guadalcanal.

Shared their 4-day ordeal

AFTER four days adrift at sea, the 10 people who were lost at sea were found and rescued safely.Their boat was located 8 nautical miles south west of Avu Avu, Guadalcanal Province by an Australian Defence Force aircraft.

The 10 passengers including a teacher, students and a couple with their two children were on their way from Ulawa to Three Sister Island when they ran out of fuel.

Ronald Marita one of the survivors told the Solomon Star yesterday they ran out of fuel just a few kilometers from their destination.

He said they tried to paddle their way to the island but because of the strong current it was impossible.

“Some of us were thinking of swimming ashore but most of us objected to the idea because the current was to strong and it was risky,” he said.

Therefore, they decided to remain in the boat and just hope and pray the current would lead them to a nearby island.

He said for the past few days they drifted passed Ugi, Marau Bay with their only hope to be drifted towards Guadalcanal.

“If we were not found today (yesterday) we would still be drifting, God knows where,” he said.

The youngest of the survivors were two brothers Castro More and Rensley More aged 14 and 15 years accompanied by their parents.

When the Solomon Star visited the survivors at the National Referral Hospital yesterday they were still in trauma, tired and still shivering in their wet clothes.

Mr Marita said they survived on eating root crops (pana) and drinking sea water.

After, four days of search with the help of RAMSI, Search and Rescue, the Australian Maritime and Defence Force through their government, the survivors were located at about 2:30pm yesterday.

They were located by the Australian Defence Force aircraft outside of AvuAvu.

The aircraft then reported back to the Search and Rescue team in Honiara to advice a helicopter to pick them up.

They were then flown to Marau where they were quickly examined before they were transported to the National Referral Hospital yesterday evening.

One of the survivors’ family members Dennis Marita told the Solomon Star yesterday that it was great news for their families who have been praying for their safety.

“It was a great relief, for me as a family member and for the whole family of those whom went missing,” he said.

Mr Marita would like to thank the Government and the Australian government for their help.

Meanwhile, Head of Maritime Operations department Brian Aonima also conveyed his appreciation to the Australian Maritime, Australian Defence Force, RAMSI, the Australian Government and the local officers at Maritime for their help.

“I would like to thank the Australian Government for always helping us in situations beyond our means,” he said.

Mr Aonima would like to advise boat owners, villagers and passengers to take precaution when travelling out to sea during the bad weather.

“I appeal to travelers not to put their lives at risk when they know it is not safe to go out at sea,” he said.

He said since the beginning of this month they have recorded six cases of people missing at sea.

However, the good news was they were either found or landed safely ashore.

some one’s math skills are not too good… 1 mil + 200k + 500k = 1.2 mil? I guess it does, in the Solomons…

$1M pledge
MONDAY, 11 JULY 2011 04:50

PM Danny Philip and APS fundraising committee members Sir Tommy Chan and Fr John Lamani.
Prime Minister Danny Philip has pledges 1 million to Auki primary school (APS) fundraising committee in aid of rebuilding the school.

This was announced by the Chairman of the fundraising committee Sir Tommy Chan during the second fundraising event at the Honiara hotel on Saturday.

The Prime Minister pledge now increases the money raised so far to $1.2 million which was more than what the committee is targeting.

In the first fundraising event on June 2 the committee has raised more than $200,000 from corporate tables, auctions, riffle tickets and queen show.

Actual figures of the total amount raised from June 2 and on Saturday should be made known today by the fundraising committee.

On Saturday it was estimated that more the $500,000 was raised mostly on pledges and auctions.

Once all the money are collected the fundraising committee will then handover the money to the school on a later date.

Auki primary was burnt down on June 14 which denied hundreds of school children the right to education.

The school is one of the first schools to be built in the provinces as well in the country.

Some of the elites in the country with good educational background were once groomed from the school.

The fundraising on Saturday is the final events of raising money for the school.

Meanwhile Chung Wah school in recognition of the effort done by the fundraising committee also assist by placing a donation box at their school.

Parents, teachers and school children have been donating towards the APS fundraising drive over the past week.

That the government here is broke, stealing from itself and lying to the public…

Government puts together supplementary budget
MONDAY, 11 JULY 2011 04:41

The Solomon Islands government is putting together a supplementary budget to be tabled in the next sitting of parliament.

This comes despite an announcement in the last sitting of parliament that the administration had a surplus.
Finance ministry officials have confirmed that work is underway to put together an additional budget.

They said most of the government’s allocated budget has been exhausted especially with big items such as the RIPEL project and next year’s Festival of Pacific Arts.