Last week’s High Court Order against the APID company has been welcomed as a relief-spell for the people and leadership of Renbel province.
In a statement, Renbel Premier Hon Collin Singamoana said, that this Order has brought some degree of respite and encouragement for them in their battle against the APID company, which has besieged the province to a standstill for much of this year.
More importantly, with the implementation of the Order’s stipulations, the Renbel province can now be free to proceed with its Priority Projects without any further hassles from the company.
Premier Singamoana revealed that ever since his executive came into power early this year, it has been literally bogged down, engaged against the APID to this day.
Hence, the province’s visions and development plans, encompassed in its Priority Projects, have not been lifted off ground yet.
“After the colossal task of reviving back the suspended province, we were faced with yet another huge hurdle of fighting against this unwelcomed company, and it has taken us this far, with the end of the year anticipated a month away.
“Apart from engaging in all kinds of unorthodox means to protect its operations on West Rennell, APID has also meddled with the governance of the province, funding and provoking political instability within the Renbel Assembly.
“It was a tremendously hard and costly undertaking, regaining the national Government’s trust in order to strike out the Suspension status of the Renbel province.
“Even while we were busy reviving the suspended province, we were also bombarded with APID-related issues.
“And even when we finally received the greenlight from the national Government, through the Ministry of Provincial Government, to function again as a provincial government, we couldn’t immediately embark on our development plans because we were faced with the APID threat.
“So, last week’s High Court Order bears some significance to the struggling small province of Renbel, as it rattles its engine to try and progress.”
According to Premier Singamoana, his government will waste no time and try and delve into working towards implementing the priority projects for 2015, which, despite being behind schedule, he is optimistic will have most completed by early next year.
They include, but are not limited to the following; preparations for the Solomon Games; building the Assembly Hall in the provincial capital; building houses for the executives in the provincial capital; building new offices for government ministries and divisions; providing infrastructure for various services; mobile network for east and central Rennell.
“Already we have completed the first and second quarter reports, ahead of schedule, with our provincial outstanding debts repaid.
“And so, if the High Court Order is effectively implemented, we should be free to embark on moving the province.
“So far, as I have mentioned, the province has somewhat been held at ransom by the APID company. Hence for the bulk of this year Renbel has been stuck, fighting a costly battle against the company.”
Premier Singamoana reassured his good people that he and his executive are still working to protect the interests of the people and province.
On the issue of internal political instability within the Renbel governance, Premier Singamoana says that, apart from non-executive MPAs being driven by personal agendas, the removal of APID from Renbel will be a massive step forward for political stability in the province.
“Political tug-o-war exists everywhere, but with catalysts, in our case, the APID company, political instability can reach devastating levels where people will suffer very much from,” says Premier Singamoana.
So, with APID removed from Rennell and Bellona, political squabbling may persist, but in a sustainable level, in which, in spite of, development will still occur nevertheless.
