CONSTITUENCY Development Officer (CDO) for Ulawa Ughi Alvin Brian Pelu has strongly condemned what he described as the cargo-cult mentality whereby constituents expect their respective members of Parliament to provide free handout of cash ,food and wealth materials to them.
Mr Pehu blamed former and some current members of parliament for initiating such cult mentality.
While responding to criticisms raised by some members of Ulawa Ughi constituency, Mr Pehu the current practice of hand to mouth mentality people have towards members of parliament must6 stop before the country can expect some form of tangible development in rural Solomon Islnds..
Mr Pehu said the current CDO and MPs have adopted new measures and ways in the disbursement of assistance to their respective constituents.
He said the new system is an attempt to do away with the previous system where individual or groups of constituents showed up at the residence of their MP and collect cash payments then left.
He said that kind of behaviour breeds beggars and laziness to which the end result is poverty.
Unlike what happened in the past, Mr Pehu said the current line of approach the CDOs are taking in disbursement of assistance to their respective constituencies to make visits to rural communities in their own constituencies.
He said during the visits they are able to help communities identify and discuss potential and viable development needs of varying sectors. He said the proposals are evaluated and implemented under funding from the constituency.
Mr Pehu said the new approach method is being met with some opposition by those hooked into the free hand out mentality of the past.
But whatever happens, Mr Pehu said we must change that old fashioned attitude for better.
He said citizens of this country must not continue to live a cycle of poverty all year round when we can improve our standard of living by avoiding mistakes of the past.
Mr Pehu said the practice of distributing free hand out of food to constituents as had been the practice in the past had not made any progress in the development of communities. All it does he said was keep them beggars all their lives.
He said such perception is far from any form of development.
By AATAI JOHN
