MEMBER of Parliament for East Honiara, Douglas Ete has blasted the NCRA Government, saying it has failed to allocate funds to counter national disasters such as last week’s flash flooding in Honiara and Guadalcanal.
The flash floods last week has so far claimed 23 lives and left more than 9000 people both in Honiara and Guadalcanal homeless.
Mr Ete said that unlike in the past when the earthquake and tsunami struck the Western Province, each Member of Parliament from the Western Province were given $150,000 in relief money to assist victims, out of the $15 million disaster fund.
“We do not know if that money were fully utilized for its purpose or now,” Mr Ete said.
“However during the current disaster, again all Members of Parliament had been approved and given $300,000 to help with relief aid.
“How come all the constituencies or rather MP’s were given the same amount to use as relief aid, when only Honiara and Guadalcanal are the only two most affected areas?
“Where is the logic in such? There is none at all,” Mr Ete said.
Mr Ete also questioned why the relief money had to be given to the MPs rather than the National Disaster Management Office.
“Why does the money have to go into the hands of the MPs and not to the NDMO, which is the rightful authority to deal with disasters?”
Mr Ete added the government does not have any money to counter such situation, adding that even the preparation for such national disasters was not in place.
“The money that is now in the hands of MP’s is from ROC (Taiwanese Government) and should be used wisely and for the right purposes.
“It is given by ROC and why not have it processed by ROC, which will see it go through NDMO to the victims, rather than to MPs and onwards to their supporters or rather disappear,” Mr Ete said.
He added that it is a shame to steal from victims.
By JEREMY INIFIRI
