Friday, June 17, 2011

SIBC News, 16 June 2011

OPPOSITION ON MP'S ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSING

In brief: The Opposition is calling on the Prime Minister Danny Philip to ensure one of his backbenchers face justice for illegally crossing the borders into Papua New Guinea to buy trochus shells.


The Opposition is calling on the Prime Minister Danny Philip to ensure one of his backbenchers face justice for illegally crossing the borders into Papua New Guinea to buy trochus shells.


Opposition leader made the call after a group of Malaita Outer Islanders met him yesterday to express their concerns over the way their MP Marrtin Kealoa Mokolo had crossed to PNG's Tasman Islands without proper approval from relevant authorities.


The group also reported that Mr Kealoe in two separate occasions, on October 2010 and January 2011, ordered the captain of MV Kesoko to cross the border to Tasman Islands to buy trochus.


It is understood that the trochus was then brought to Honiara and sold to a Chinese businessman for a high price.


The group also told the Opposition leader that they had raised the matter with the Prime Minister as the Head of the National Security Council but the concern fell on deaf ears.


Opposition Leader Sikua says they are concerned that the Prime Minister has turned a deaf ear to legitimate concerns raised by the group over illegal trochus trading activities of the Malaita Outer Island MP.


Dr Sikua says they are also concerned that police investigations into the matter have been slow despite receiving a formal letter of complaint from the group in March this year.


He says that the Opposition will follow up on this matte with police authorities to ensure Mr Kealoe Mokolo is held accountable for his actions. 


KOLOAEL FC SOLOMON REP IN O-LEAGUE

Honiara's Koloale Football Club will represent Solomon Islands in the 2012 O-League after defeating Solomon Warriors 3-2 in the second leg of their play-off.

Both teams drew nil-all in the first game last week.

Koloale were the Telekom S-League champions and Solomon Warriors were the Championship Series winners.

Koloale were Solomon Islands representatives at this year's O-League.

New Zealand's Auckland City won the O-League and will represent Oceania at this year's World Club Champion competition later this year. 



MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT DEDICATES CONSERVATION AREA

Minister of Environment, Moffat Fugui, has dedicated the 20-thousand hectare conservation area, making it the largest in the Solomon Islands protecting the area above the 400 metres contour from logging and mining.


Minister Fugui said the work of Kolombangara Island Biodiversity Conservation Association, KIBCA, was an “outstanding example of a public-private partnership”.


He said KIBCA is an independent NGO being supported by the Solomon Islands Government, KFPL and other NGOs and donors offering to help the Association in “every way possible”.


Mr Fugui said the conservation area provides multiple benefits including the protection of the important cultural sites, provides clean water for all the island’s villages, protects biodiversity and provides an important carbon store.


Meanwhile, Minister for Finance and MP for Gizo-Kolombangara, Gordon Darcy Lilo, said the ceremony moved him because it was the first time Kolombangara people have come together regardless of their institutions or ethnicity.


The Ceremony was held at Ringgi, Kolombangara yesterday and attended by dignitaries and about two-thousand people.


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