CITY Mayor Andrew Mua has been accused of secretly hatching a plan to sell the site where Honiara Integrated Primary School (HIPS) is located to an Asian businessman.
Mr Mua’s office earlier issued the school with an eviction notice to vacate the site next to the Multi-Purpose Hall at Lawson Tama by 31 December this year.
This, it stated, was to allow for the construction of sports facilities for the Pacific Games, which Solomon Islands will host in 2023.
But the school’s parents, who have staunchly opposed to Mr Mua’s notice, told the Solomon Star they’ve just uncovered the Mayor’s true intentions.
“His intention is to sell the place to an Asian businessman,” the parents claimed on Tuesday.
“We’ve found out from various sources that the Mayor’s real intention was to sell the site away to an Asian businessman,” they added.
“The major’s claim that the site will be used for SPG facilities was just a cover-up.”
Numerous attempts to speak to Mr Mua yesterday were unsuccessful because his mobile phone was switched off.
Earlier, Mr Mua told the Solomon Star Honiara Integrated Primary School must be relocated somewhere because the sited has been earmarked for Pacific Games facilities.
However, a spokesman for the National Olympic Committee of Solomon Islands (NOCSI) said the site where the school is located has never been surveyed for the Pacific Games sports facilities.
“The survey that was done by Taiwanese officials and other local authorities does not cover the school site.
“It was only around the Multipurpose Hall area and as far as the tennis courts.
“We are surprise to hear the Mayor saying the school site will be used to build Games facilities, which is not true,” the NOCSI spokesman said.
Parents said Honiara Integrated School was run under the authority of the City Council so they found it weird for the Mayor to chase them away.
“If the Mayor wants us relocate, he has to find an alternative site. After all, this is the council school,” one parent said.
“The real intention is the Mayor wants the school to relocate so that he can sell the place to his Asian friend.
“We understand he’s eying to contest the Temotu Vatud seat in next year’s election,” the parent said.
Parents who spoke to the Solomon Star yesterday during a visit to the school want the police (Taskforce Janus) to investigate the reasons and motive behind the Mayor’s decision to force the school to relocate.
“We can tell you that any investigations conducted will uncover a can of worm,” they said.
Honiara Integrated School used to be run by a private individual on a site along the nearby Koloale road.
Its relocation to the current site was made at the approval and with facilitation from the City Council.
Few weeks ago the Mayor also ordered his Law Enforcement Officers to remove the market stall used by the parents and guardians to sell locally cooked food to the students.
By AATAI JOHN LAUNGI
