Good governance beckons

Government stop outreach programme
The prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, has directed the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, RAMSI, to stop it outreach programme to the provinces.

RAMSI started its programme since coming into the country, and in the past two weeks had paid courtesy calls on the newly elected provincial governments of Guadalcanal and Malaita. During the visit to Malaita, RAMSI spoke to communities in Malaita about its work. Following that visit Mr Sogavare has written to RAMSI raising concerns about the manner in which the visits were conducted. He says as genuine as RAMSI’s intentions may be, conducting an independent public relations campaign implies that the mission is not answerable to the government.

Mr Sogavare says the Government will not accept interference that undermines its sovereign authority. He has directed RAMSI to stop the visits until discussions with the government and a more co-operative effort is developed.

Mission confirms letter
A RAMSI spokesperson confirms that the office of the Special Coordinator had received a letter from Prime Minister Sogavare on its Community Outreach Program.

The spokesperson however says RAMSI would be pleased to have government take part in its provincial visits, as had occurred in past visits. The person says it is not new that RAMSI is making these visits, which in the past had included Solomon Islands government officials. The RAMSI spokesperson says the mission has been visiting provinces since its arrival. The person says when the Pacific Islands Forum endorsed the mission in 2003, RAMSI was given the task to ensure it conducts consultations with Solomon Islanders, most of whom live in the provinces.

MyBlog says
Like it or not RAMSI has won a public relations race during its recent courtesy calls on two newly elections provincial governments.

The calls were made to two of the biggest and important provinces in the rebuilding process of Solomon Islands. Whether or not RAMSI's calls to the provinces was done without consulting the government was deliberate or not, the Mission had made its point. MyBlog commends RAMSI for making such early and important calls on the newly elected government. Its visits to those new governments will certainly have a lasting impression especially on the new provincial politicians.

MyBlog believes that the government was unable to do an early call on the six newly elected provincial government because of busy and pressing commitments. The Parliament budget meeting had just ended, and the Ministers were just recovering from such demanding days let alone plan visits to the provinces. There was just little time to do that.

But MyBlog hopes this hiccup between the government and RAMSI can be ironed out so that the two parties can resume their joint visits to the provinces.

Management at Pacific Institutes
University of the South Pacific
In January this year the Vice Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific, USP, Professor Anthony Tarr announced his resignation.

The reports had it that Professor Tarr tendered his resignation effective 30 April this year. The reports said Professor Tarr cited personal and family commitments as reasons for his resignation. Professor Tarr was appointed in 2005 replacing the late Vice Chancellor Savenaca Siwatibau.

PNG University of Technology
Lecturers with the Papua New Guinea University of Technology remain on strike, despite a court order asking them to return to work.

They want the University's Vice Chancellor to resign over allegations of poor management. A report from Papua New Guinea says PNG's Ombudsman has intervened to investigate the allegations. The Ombudsman brokered a truce between the striking staff and the university administration for classes to resume while it investigates the allegations. The truce calls for striking lecturers to resume duties next week and will not be penalised. But the lecturers remain defiant that the vice chancellor and his administration should step aside for the investigations.

Solomon Islands College of Higher Education
Academic and non academic staff unions of the Solomon Islands college of Higher Education have issued a seven working-day strike notice effective as of March 7th 2007.

The college's two staff unions have jointly issued the strike notice to the Chairman of the SICHE Council, North-west Choiseul M-P Clement Kengava. The teachers have demanded the removal of three members of the College Management including the Director, Gabriel Taloikwai. The other two staff members are the Financial Management consultant, Ms Naleen Raj and Technical Advisor Corporate Services Mr Alan Evans. The staff unionists demanded immediate removal of the trio from their positions accusing them of serious misconduct in the administration of their duties.

MyBlog comments
A new trend appears to be emerging in Pacific education institutions.

The changing of the guard of management at Pacific Institute is not a new thing. It happened many times in the past. Head and management staff of institutions moved on for one reason or another. They may have completed their contracts, resigned for personal reasons or moving on to take up other challenges.

The USP Chancellor Professor Tarr was reported as resigning for personal and family commitments. MyBlog can only wish the professor the best in any new adventure he embarks on after his time at the USP.

The PNG UNITECH and SICHE cases which demanded resignation of those concern seem to fall into the same category. The issue here as indicated by the demands and petitions can be narrowed down to poor management. MyBlog acknowledges that a person is innocent until proven guilty by the courts.

Whatever, the outcomes of investigates into the cases, for such important institutions to continue to perform its functions, those issues must be solved as soon as possible.

Pacific Island nations have been going through a time of political upheaval for sometimes now. It became more frequent since the Bougainville crisis of the late 1980s. That event seemed to have a "domino effect" on other island nations. They came in many guises; the Fiji coups, Solomon Islands social unrest, the Tonga riots and the latest is Vanuatu's Port Vila incident.

MyBlog believes that these upheavals could be rooted in bad governance and the lack of transparency and lack of accountability. And there lies the answer. There is a need for Good Governance, Transparency and Accountability in society.

Peace be with you.