Page 8 - IB MAR 2019

Whispers

UPNG’s one crisis to another insists that he’s still a member of the rul- reportedly knocked back its application,
IT has been a tumultuous start to the aca- ing party of Samoa, the Human Rights instead giving the green light to one or
demic year at the University of Papua New Protection Party. “I did not resign, and I possibly two other mining companies.
Guinea. The latest wave of trouble began will not resign,” the MP told reporters. His Axiom claims one of these companies dis-
in January when the government dissolved party leader and Prime Minister Tuilaepa tributed damaging but false information
and then replaced the UPNG Council and Sailele Malieleagoi agrees 100 per cent! He about its plans on Isabel which prompted
installed a new Vice Chancellor. However says the MP didn’t tender his resignation the mining committee to reject is applica-
the new VC was apparently an unsuc- directly. But he did so indirectly when he tion for a licence last December.
cessful candidate for the role, which was voted against a government motion in
awarded to Dr Frank Griffen, although parliament. “If you decide to vote against t
that appointment had not been formally [the motion], you are officially informing
announced. The Registrar has also been the party that you want to leave and you Say yes in the hospital cafeteria
sacked and university staff boycotted don’t want to be involved anymore,” is ALTHOUGH only given days to live by
classes over the government’s alleged in- how Tuilaepa explained away the termina- his doctors, former president of Nauru
terference. The Higher Education minister tion of the membership of Leuatea. Sprent Dabwido made true on one of
has also accused some lecturers of sexual his final wishes, tying the knot with his
misconduct with students. Finally in early t partner of eight years Luci. “The doctor,
March the University’s interim Chancellor, unfortunately, told me I have days or
Jeffrey Kennedy resigned, saying he didn’t Serve God or riches, not both weeks to go … So I proposed to her in
have the government’s confidence. Pity SEEMS like the veteran leader not only the cafeteria in the hospital [straight after
the students trying to study at what was likes pulling up those fellow party mem- diagnosis] and she still said ‘yes’” was
once rivalled USP as the region’s premier bers that dare to question his leadership, how the former president described it to
university. he also holds very strong, sometimes con- SBS TV. This coming from a man whom
troversial opinions about members of the the Nauru Government tried every means
t clergy in Samoa. In one of his weekly radio to deny him seeking cancer treatment
programmes where Tuilaepa speaks in the overseas. It seized his passport and at one
Day and Knight vernacular, he scolded pastors, warning time claimed it has been lost and was only
SOLOMON Islanders have been reminded them not to speak or comment about the forced to release it when Dabwido sought
that former Solomon Islands Prime Minis- economy of the nation. ‘You can’t serve a court order.
ter Allan Kemakeza has had his knight- two masters, the PM said. “Your respon-
hood revoked after references to “Sir sibility as a pastor is to do things with t
Allan” began creeping into media reports. God. You cannot worship God and worship
Kemakeza’s knighthood was revoked in riches at the same time. Leave that stuff Stranded in Vanuatu
2016 due to his conviction on criminal [worldly riches] to people who are good at A case of interest is unfolding in Vanuatu
charges. He joins a small club of former that stuff like the Central Bank of Samoa!’ where a couple who runs a clothing busi-
‘Sirs’ who were stripped of their titles ness in the capital could face charges of
including the Cook Islands’ Albert Henry. t human trafficking and slavery. The story
goes that the man and his wife had hired
t Once we’re cabinet almost 80 men from Bangladesh to work
COURT proceedings have begun in Tonga in their shop, but the problem is that most
Major airport upgrade in a rare case in which a couple who both of these foreign workers have no legal
SOME believe that it is only right that served as cabinet ministers are facing papers. They also didn’t enter Vanuatu
the Japanese Government will fund the fraud charges. Former minister of internal in one group, but trickled in, it is said, in
upgrade of the main international and affairs, ‘Akosita Laulavu has denied six small groups of five or seven people. As
domestic airports in the capital of Solomon counts of using forged documents and the couple awaits trial in prison, only about
Islands. For it was the Imperial Army that obtaining money by false pretences. Her 21 Bangladesh workers have secured a
built the Henderson Airfields in the first husband, ‘Etuate Lavulavu has pleaded proper work permit, while the rest are still
place, when Honiara was the main the- not guilty as well. The charges stem from in search for permits.
atre of war in the Pacific, and before its an audit of the ‘Unuaki ‘o Tonga Royal
control was forcibly wrestled from them Institute. t
by advancing Allied Forces. A major up-
grade which will see the modernising of t Don’t hurt our brand
the two terminals as well as the tarmac THE new head of the Fiji based regional
and runway is expected to leave Tokyo To mine or not to mine university is unimpressed with the state
with a bill of US$36 million and comes THERE’S intrigue and drama over plans by of the university campus in Apia, Samoa.
close on the heels of major road works the Australian mining giant Axiom to start a “Since I took over on January 2 my most
Japanese Government has just completed nickel mine in the Solomon Island province concern is the state of the campus. I think
in Honiara. of Isabel. A mining journal out of Perth is some of the buildings have been left and
reporting that Axiom has won a defama- not repaired – our accommodation is not
t tion case against a rival which beat it to up to standard,” a clearly frustrated VC
the nickel mining licence on Isabel. Axiom Professor Pal Ahluwalia told the Samoa
Beware how you vote had applied to start nickel mining but the Observer newspaper. “We have a very
O U T S P O K E N p a r l i a m e n t a r i a n national government’s mining committee good global brand USP, and these things
La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polata’ivao hurt our brand.” The campus at Alafua

8 Islands Business, March 2019