Dear Editor – Veteran politicians mudslinging on media. The political trait displayed by Dr Sikua has sunken to a new low, a deplorable ebb indeed.
National leaders should be continuously reminded that you are not only representing a small portion of our country but that of every single individual who calls this beautiful country home. Solomon Island just like any pacific island STATE has gone through a lot and best regarded as an ‘Organic’ since our current form is fashioned by both natural and historical forces.
Our leaders need to revisit and adopt the basic of principles that is guided by our cultural diversity and history to better understand what make us distinctive and special as a nation today and to use the God given ability to better understand our people and address issues that they treasure in equity and fairness.
In fact, there is still so much to learn from our own in terms of resources, uniqueness and culture; which carries carry our pride and the underlying strengths as a nation to any extent. Unfortunately, most of the dark events that have unfold previously, were the ingredients of poor leadership or crudely put ‘leadership without principle’ a philosophy accentuated by Mahatma Ghandi in his conception of the Seven Deadly Sins; “Politics without Principle leads to Social Sin”.
Freedom itself is the very basic essential for development; not the freedom to abuse, confuse, and corrupt or to inflict old wounds for political gain at the expense of the people.
After two of the dark events that tarnishes the relatively peaceful name of the country, it is obvious that none of the warring parties involved won – perhaps, collectively they had only won by bringing the economy of this country to its’ very knees and denying the rights of their own women and children to a better life and education.
Hence, I wish to call on Dr. Sikua, to refrain from using petty ambitious politics that does not reflect the interests of the vulnerable groups and speak well of you as a national leader. Lets’ not focus on the problem but to move the country forward.
As a tertiary student representing 8000 students and an advocator of the Minimal Code of Standard and Ethics for Good Governance and leadership pioneered by PIANGO. I raise my cap to both our senior Politicians and wish to call on them to show seniority and visionary leadership and continue to support the initiatives and effort done by past governments, traditional leaders, tribes, international NGO’s, church leaders, victims and perpetrators towards Peace and Reconciliation, restorative justice and national building for the future of the next generation.
Let us now bury the past and dig the future. We all understand your tasks as Leaders has not been an easy one and despite of our past success or failure, it will never guarantee us future prosperity in this fast changing world, but only if we build on the fundamental pillars of love, unity, peace, and respect for each other with a positive visionary outlook guided by ethical governing principles that embraces the Christ-like slogan of “To lead is to Serve”.
Willie Ausuta
Vice President, USP Student Association – SI
Chairman Solomon Island Tertiary Student Association (SITSA) – Working Committee
