MEMBER of Parliament for Small Malaita Hon Rick Hou has shared in Parliament the reason why former Prime Minister late Bartholomew Ulufa’alu stood against Solomon Islands gaining independence in 1978.
Speaking during his debate on the TRC Summary Report in Parliament this week, the Small Malaita MP said the late Ulufa’alu who was the leader of the opposition then, stood against independence and actually persuaded four others who were on his side not to go, and eventually they did not go.
The entire Parliament did go, except for them.
“I was on a trip in 1998 with Ulufa’alu, and I asked him why he did not want independence. We sat for two days as he was trying to talk about his views,” Hon Hou recalled.
According to late Ulufa’alu, Hon Hou said that independence was a plan, which he thinks was initiated by the British, which divided our leaders then.
“Some wanted it because we wanted to look after ourselves. But according to Ulufa’alu, we should not be doing it. He said because it is not the right time, and we are not ready. So I asked him why, and he said that we need the British to build the economy. We need the British to build this country. They must not go. Do not allow them to leave,” Hon Hou shared in Parliament.
In fact Hon Hou said, according to Ulufa’alu the British administration just wanted to let go and just leave.
“To Ulufa`alu, the BSIP was to the British a difficult and expensive outpost to the British Foreign Office, an outpost of little or no strategic relevance of lesser importance, if any to the empire. So he insisted that if we consider independence, we have to compel the British to build and secure a national economy and establish a strong public administrative system. This would be supported by decent infrastructure throughout the five districts,” Hou retold late Ulufa’alu’s story in Parliament.
The Small Malaita MP said Ulufa’alu wanted to establish public institutions and a strong administrative system throughout this country.
He said Ulufa’alu wanted the British to build high schools and colleges within the five districts.
“He wanted airports, ports, and roads within the five districts. Those were his ideas. He said that if we want them to go, that is what they must do,” he said.
“So Ulufa’alu asked me, why do you think they moved this capital from Tulagi? I said, I do not know. He said that it is because they saw the roads and buildings built by the military. They just moved the administration to Honiara because of those existing infrastructures.
He said Ulufa’alu suggested we were ill prepared and we were playing into the British hands.
“As history would attest to it, our Solomon Islands independence or the route to independence for Solomon Islands had been compared or unlike every other places in the world. Ours was the quickest, the smoothest and the easiest to attain. I wonder whether the late Ulufa`alu was wrong in his assessment or in his position at that time. It is for every Solomon Islander to judge,” Hon Hou said.
– Opposition Press
