FOREIGN governments paid young people who smashed vehicles and burned down buildings in Honiara during last November’s riot, a Malaita farmer has revealed for the first time.
Using the pen name Pie Filea, the farmer is calling for a full investigation into Premier Daniel Suidani’s involvement as a conduit for funding the riot, which has left a gaping $800 million hole in the nation’s struggling economy.
Pie has also called for Premier Suidani’s resignation, claiming the people of Malaita can no longer trust him.
“How could we trust a premier like Suidani who would exchange the interest of Malaita for his own good? He failed his people! Sir, please help convey our voices to the public,” the farmer said in an email.
It was apparent in the farmer’s email that his group had missed out on funding from the Strengthening, Competitiveness, Agriculture and Livelihood (SCALE) Program. Funding for the Malaita Programme was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The five-year US$25 million programme [about SBD205 million over five years] was announced by USAID three years ago. But despite all the celebrative mood and hypes welcoming the announcement, not a single project in any of the sectors on Malaita has been funded to date.
Frustrated applicants, including Pie’s group have begun speaking out publicly about “the failure” of the programme.
“I hope this email finds you well. I’m Pie from Auki. I’m one of the applicants for SCALE programme,” he said in an email to me.
“I happened to read your article about a farmer’s complaint about the program. I’m so glad to see that our situation is finally noticed by the public. Thank you for writing this article. It encourages me to stand up to share the information that has been kept in me for (a) long. It means a lot to me,” the emailer said.
“My fellow and I applied for the SCALE programme three years ago but the office kept our application pending for different excuses. With time passing by, they are totally silent now.
“They think we are just some simple rural villagers and expect us to give up our request. This is not going to happen!
“People have been talking for a while about the fact that the programme money is actually used by Suidani to support illegal activities against DCGA (government).
“Winrock has been paying Premier Suidani and his consultants via SCALE programme. Suidani spent the money in recruiting people for the riot last year,” Pie alleges.
“Many local youths were paid to smash things in Honiara. Someone I knew joined the riot and asked me to do the same so I could get paid with good money. I rejected his offer because it was very wrong to me,” Pie said.
“But I was too scared to report it at that time. Many of them were carrying weapons. Also, Suidani spent a big sum of the program money in hiring 40 security guards to protect himself. These guards enjoy good salary, weapons and expensive communications equipment,” Pie said.
“It’s a total waste of money. Imagine how much we farmers could do with this amount of money!
“How could we trust a premier like Suidani who would exchange the interest of Malaita for his own good? He failed his people! Sir, please help convey our voices to the public.
“We call on Suidani to resign! We will defend our rights by voting for a candidate who actually care about the development of Malaita.
“We call on DCGA and [the] media to start a corruption investigation on Suidani and his consultants immediately. We call on (the) Malaita government to get rid of this fake programme and invite other donors who would bring genuine assistance to us.”
Winrock which administers the SCALE programme has consistently maintained its silence despite mounting calls for transparency in disbursing project funding.
Premier Suidani too, who like Winrock in maintaining silence over the Programme’s funding, is believed to be the chair of Winrock’s Board of Trustees in Auki.
Meanwhile, Premier Suidani has refuted the claim.
Speaking to Solomon Star Auki, Premier Suidani said he is unaware of the crazy claims made against him and the reputable USA-based Non-Government Organisation, Winrock, which is currently implementing the USAID SCALE-NRM in Malaita Province.
More on the Premier’s response in separate article titled ‘Premier Suidani refutes claim.’
By Alfred Sasako
NADI, Fiji Islands
