DEAR EDITOR – I was standing with a big crowd of about more than 100 people at the Outpatient watching the increasing strength of the wind and a heavy pouring of rain at about 11:30 AM.
As everybody’s eyes stared toward Mataniko River we couldn’t believe our eyes when a group of Lord Howe settlement boys’ carrying with their hands the first dead body found on their beach.
After delivering the dead body to the hospital these young brave boys rushed back to the river bank and brought the second, the third until the sixth when I had to leave the outpatient because it was 4.30 pm on the first day of the flood disaster Thursday 3rd 2014.
The main thing I would like mention in this paper is where were police and PFF force at this time of emergency?
Everybody was aware that Mataniko River which is in the centre of Honiara town would be the main centre of emergency.
The period of extraordinary heavy pouring of rain from morning to 12 noon gives enough time for every authority to be alerted and standby along- side Mataniko river for any possible life saving.
For example if the police force were ordered to patrol along the river Mataniko from inland to the sea no one would be killed at all.
Please let me compare the well prepared police force at the shaggy entertainment with this tragic flood disaster which is of importance to our communities?
We take too much and spent too much but the reality of peace and security is in vain.
John Tepala
Savo/ Russell constituency
