Dear Editor – I write to express the views of those representing Focus Taekwondo Club in Honiara, concerning the current Solomon Islands Taekwondo Union (S.I.T.U) President and his executive.
I find them incapable of leadership based on the points stated herein:
1. Election of S.I.T.U. Executive Council Members
The last election of the current S.I.T.U. Council members is clearly unconstitutional, strictly NOT according to Article 10.6 of the of the S.I.T.U. Constitution. I do not need to elaborate further on this. Read the Constitution.
How and why the president exercised such wrong doing – no circulation of memo concerning the upcoming election to member associations and clubs in the country and the worst thing is having the election behind lock doors using only members from one particular club that is Aiso Taekwondo club which own by Philip Afu the President and John Alick the Secretary General.
All the members in the current executive are from Aiso club which is owned by the President and his Secretary.
To me this current executive is Aiso’s executive and not Solomon Islands Taekwondo Union’s executive because they are from the same club that train in multipurpose hall.
The election as well should due for this year 2014 according to the S.I.T.U. calendar and not last year 2013.
2. Formation of the Sanctions Committee
The President failed miserably to designate a Sanctions Committee to deal with Unions related issues rather than making decisions on his own on important matters such as the misuse of the Korean Community (KC) vehicle by Philip Afu’s Secretary John Alick, resulting in removing him from transporting the Korean Instructors.
This was done by the disagreement from the Leader of the Korean Community, but the so called S.I.T.U. President remains tight-lipped on the issue.
This is the issue that tarnishes the good image of S.I.T.U. and brings shame to loyal members of W.T.F. Taekwondo in the Solomon Islands. Why did you keep silent Mr President?
The suspension of the Focus Taekwondo Club is another issue which shows the President incapability to lead the Union.
The Focus Taekwondo club was suspended for one year by the President and his executive for affiliating with an Australian Taekwondo club, which is not true.
This claim comes about because Junior Maetia went and Train in Australia and was graded by Master John Wilson for his first Dan Black Belt, but there’s no affiliation he did to that Australian club.
According to the constitution under article 21.6, Junior Maetia as the owner of the Focus Taekwondo Club should be given opportunity to make verbal or written statement in defence which he was denied that opportunity by the President and his executive.
3. KOREAN INSTRUCTORS
The arrival of the four Korean instructors was one of the good developments towards the build-up of taekwondo in Solomon Islands.
I want to thank the Solomon Islands government and Korean Community for their support.
But how the president handle it was shellfish and greedy, because the arrival of the four instructions was to benefit the whole union not only his club members.
He fails miserably to give invitation letters to clubs and associations in the provinces to attend the one month course.
Philip Afu uses the name of S.I.T.U. to apply for funds to bring the instructors in the country to benefit his own club members.
Non from the other clubs or associations attended the one month course because his failure to send the invitation letters. The result of such foul play by Philip Afu and John Alick, they caught John Alick for misusing the vehicle provided to transport the Korean instructors.
The best development for taekwondo in this country is to get a Master from overseas to grade the senior students to black belt and not like what Philip Afu and John Alick are doing, they began to sell the black belt to the boys in their club like betelnut-korokua –lime.
They want to strip our belts because we were not sent by S.I.T.U. to grade for our first Dan Black Belts, (Junior Maetia grade in Australia, Willie Akwai grade in New Zealand, and Jersey in Fiji).
We grade under our W.T.F. Masters so you can’t strip us because you have no right to do so, but you should appreciate our achievements because S.I.T.U. did not spend any single cent and we did it for our love to develop Taekwondo in our country.
Since the last 15 years when this two people come into power, they try hard to get their first dan black belt then forget about everyone who’s practising Taekwondo for the past twenty (20) years.
S.I.T.U. will never move positively forward if you continue to accept people like Mr President to lead.
I therefore call on NOCSI and NSC to intervene immediately to look into the leadership of S.I.T.U.
Willie Akwai
Honiara
