A MOTION of No-Confidence is being filed against the Honiara City Council (HCC) Lord Mayor, Wilson Mamae, it was revealed.
Former HCC Finance Chairman and Councillor for Vavaya Ward, Billy Abae made the submission on Monday 1st March 2021. The motion is expected to be moved in the first quarter full council meeting, next week.
The submission, sighted by this newspaper, claimed that Honiara City Councillors no longer have the trust and confidence in Mr. Mamae’s leadership.
According to the Motion of No Confidence notice, Cr Abae highlighted that the motion is being moved, because of a ‘very weak’ leadership at the council as well as alleged misconduct and misappropriation of HCC funds for the last 18 months.
One of the highlights of the motion regarding the weak leadership is that the City Clerk has acted outside of executive decisions for all matters of the council and for his personal gains, the submission stated.
Some of this evidence include the appointment of the clerk, 2019 staff recruitment, the continuous public calls for the mayor to resign, and the clerk’s control over the executive being the head of administration.
Other evidence under the misconduct and misappropriation of funds include the misuse of petty cash, budget overspending, conflict of interest within HCC, regularity of errors in journal entries, unrecorded and missing PVs, accumulation of workers SINPF contributions, Mayor and Clerks rental entitlements, and others.
Some other latest evidence comprises the illegal sales of HCC lands, poor financial management which gave rise to debt servicing in the 2021 budget, suspicious awarding of contracts, and many more.
Cr Abae also stated in the submission that there are more issues that will be debated when the motion proceeds.
Politics aside, Abae said the motion is for the good of Honiara City and its residents.
“….some may feel [think] that I am playing politics, but as a leader who was given the mandate to help govern the Honiara City, I feel I would be doing injustice to our people and the HCC as an institution if I did not move this motion for a change in our city.
“The shamble we have witnessed over the last eighteen months cannot be allowed to continue in our city,” Cr Abae said.
But responding to the Motion of No-Confidence note, Mayor Mamae said he fully accepts the motion and that he is confident to face the music.
“…the City Council has undergone more shame and disrepute with the circulation of fabricated lies and allegations that are manufactured by the mover [Cr Abae] and his like-minded colleagues.
“Needless to say that the Executive Government is confident though that the outcome of the motion will bring justice, fairness and lead to tangible change and development in the City of Honiara,” Mamae stated, in his written response to the mover of the motion.
He also advised that his executive does not anticipate any withdrawal of the motion, not even at the floor of the council chambers.
