SOLOMON ISLANDS lost two national leaders this month – former Governor General (GG) Sir David Vunagi and former Prime Minister Sir Francis Billy Hilly. Sir David from Isabel Province who died on 7 March was 73 years old.
Sir Francis, national statesman and Prime Minister, was 76 at the time of his death on 10 March 2025.
A Priest, Sir David Okete Vuvuiri Vunagi, GCMG, was a Solomon Islands Anglican bishop who served as governor-general of Solomon Islands from 2019 to 2024.
He was the archbishop of Melanesia and bishop of the Diocese of Central Melanesia from 2009 to 2015. A State Funeral in his honor would be held on Thursday.
Sir was born on 5 September 1951, aged 73 years old at the time of his death. He died on Guadalcanal. Sir David was educated at the University of the South Pacific, University of Papua New Guinea, Vancouver School of Theology and St John’s Theological College.
Both men were friendly and despite the high offices they occupied.
I last met Sir David when he and I spoke at the Fifth Form Graduation at Selwyn College prior to his election as Governor General. Because I was late in arriving, Sir David and other members of the official party had the grace to come out to meet me outside the church building where the ceremony was taking place.
I never felt so humbled and honored. It is only fitting that I say farewell to Sir David.
May God comfort your family and members of the Anglican Church in the w loss of our leader.
Sir Francis was a friend – a highly respected individual whose advice on many issues, political or otherwise, I valued.
Unlike other former prime ministers, Sir Francis would pick up the phone to talk to me about issues of concerns any time of the day.
The last time he and I spoke was only two weeks ago. I did not realize he was in hospital.
His illness did not dampen his usual cheerfulness. Being nosey as I am, I wanted to know whether he had any thoughts on the Auditor General’s Report on the $309 million Economic Stimulus Package (ESP).
Despite his illness, he was cheerful as usual.
All he managed to say was, “Alfred, nothing surprises me anymore,” as we said good bye.
A State funeral in honor of Sir Francis is being finalized for Tuesday 18 March 2025. Details would be released closer to the date, according to the Office of the Prime Minister.
Sir Francis had a colourful career in politics
He was the fourth Prime Minister of Solomon Islands occupying the much-coveted Office from 1993 to 1994. Sir Francis received the CMG, KCMG for his knighthood.
In his career as a politician, he also served as a Deputy Prime Minister, a two-time Opposition Leader and has held numerous portfolios and chairmanship of Parliamentary Committees.
He first entered politics in 1976 as the Member for Rannonga/Simbo in the Legislative Assembly. Sir Francis later became the Minister for Home Affairs under Sir Peter Kenilorea’s pre-independence government.
An indigenous Solomon Islander from Rannonga in the Western Province, he was a supporter of the Western Breakaway Movement during the pre-independence era.
His support for the movement saw his resignation from Sir Peter Kenilorea’s government just two months before Solomon Islands attained political independence after the publication of an anti-western breakaway movement poem “Ode to the West Wind”.
Upon Independence, Sir Francis was the first Member of Parliament for Rannonga/Simbo Constituency. He represented the Constituency from 1976 to 1980, 1980 to 1984, 1993 to 1997, 1997 to 2001, 2001 to 2006, and 2006 to 2010. He served a total of six terms as Member of Parliament.
Sir Francis was among the only leader to have served as a Member of Parliament and a Provincial Premier at the same time.
While serving his first term as Member of Parliament he also successful contested the South Rannonga seat in the 1979 Provincial Elections.
He was then elected President of the Western Council. A position he held until 1980, according to published reports.
Sir Francis was educated at King George VI National Secondary School and was among the first Solomon Islanders to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree (Administration) from the University of the South Pacific.
As Prime Minister, Sir Francis reign was very much a response to the legacy of the previous Mamaloni government.
He was credited with normalizing relationship with Papua New Guinea which broke down after Mamaloni effectively broke ties with Papua New Guinea as a result of numerous armed incursions into Solomon Islands by Papua New Guinea Defence Forces.
Sir Francis was also instrumental in the signing of the Honiara Commitments by Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan and BRA Military Commander General Sam Kauona. Sir Julius passed on earlier this year.
Sir Francis attempted to exert more control over government spending in trying to control expenditure-driven fiscal imbalance, lack of coherence in policy making, and the politicization of resource management rampant in the previous Mamaloni government.
As well, he undertook a number of steps to tackle corruption with a focus on land, housing and vehicle abuses by Honiara politicians and public servants and to restrengthen the public service which the Islands Business Magazine at the time described as “inefficient and demoralized.”
He met with doctors to discuss their terms and conditions of service in order to resolve a long-running pay dispute with the national doctors that led to many refusing to work in the public system.
Sir Francis lly’s government took a strong position against logging deciding to slowly phase it out to encourage local processing of logs and conserve forest resources.
Sir Francis was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, and in the 2012 Birthday Honors was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.
By Alfred Sasako
