WHILST welcoming and congratulating the DCC government for the recent Ministerial announcement, FSII has criticized the selection of certain government Ministers.
Hundreds of members including former Bishop of Malaita, Rev. Terry Brown has criticized the appointment of Hon. Bodo Detke as Minister of Forestry and Research.
“Whilst many of the new ministerial appointments are very good, the new appointment of Hon. Bodo Dettke as Minister of Forestry raises some questions around conflict of interest” Rev. Brown said.
“My understanding is that he holds many logging licenses in Central Guadalcanal. In such cases, where a Minister has a strong financial stake in his own Ministry, is there legal provision for the Minister to put his financial assets in trust or recuse himself from decisions that he benefit from financially?
‘Otherwise it looks like the fox has been put in charge of the henhouse”, Rev. Brown said.
FSII in a statement on Tuesday questions the selection of Hon Bodo Dettke and warns PM Sogavare to reconsider the selection.
“Whilst it is understood that Central Guadalcanal MP, Hon Peter Shannel Agovaka was sidelined due to a pending criminal case, Hon. Dettke’s appointment to the Ministry of Forestry and Research speaks volume of a mismatch as far as selection criterions are concern”, the statement said.
“Clearly Hon. Agovaka is a victim of DCC’s selection criterions, which favors some more than others”, one FSII member posted.
“PM Sogavare is wrong to have endorsed the appointment of Bodo Detke to the Forestry Ministry”, another member posted.
“The decision is unethical, defies common sense, and bordering on corruption. How can you, in your right mind appoint an alleged forestry law breaker to head the ministry and in charge of protecting the forestry Act and interests of Solomon Islands?, he said.
Meanwhile it is still not clear if Hon Matthew Wale whether he will be given the Finance Ministry’s post that was widely speculated.
The FSII statement further warned of appointing Wale to the top Finance position of the country.
“Hon Wale’s name is yet to be cleared as investigations on the Allied Gold saga is still continuing”, the statement said.
“The DCC came into power under the hypothesis of Change, therefore everyone expects change. And change in every form”, FSII statement said.
– FSII News
