PETER Usi has been terminated from his role as chief to the Burns Creek community, after claims that the reconciliation ceremony between Lau/Mbaelelea MP Augustine Auga early last month, was being hijacked.
Community chairman John Seti Iromea confirmed this to the Solomon Star in an interview that, Peter Usi is no longer a chief of Burns Creek community.
“I terminated Peter Usi from his role as a chief of Burns Creek because of the recent reconciliation with the Member of Parliament for Lau/Mbaelelea constituency.
“I must say that, the reconciliation ceremony that took place at Naha Police station last month was hijacked, because I was not informed prior to that event.
“So, for paying the price of not listening to me as a community chairman, I have terminated Mr Usi,” Iromea stated.
He added that, there were two separate reconciliations being organized by MP Auga and the victims in the community. Mr Iromea then questioned why it has to be two?
“The first reconciliation took place just after the incident where he (MP Auga) paid $1,000 compensation and, peace was restored. Then the second has involved the police and the media few days after the police arrested Auga for the same incident.
“Given that the reconciliation is happening for the second time, and MP Auga involved the media to attract people’s attention instead of letting me know about the planned reconciliation, I must say this second reconciliation is being hijacked,” Iromea said.
The Solomon Star understands that during the second reconciliation, Mr Auga gave each of the two victims (Peter Usi and a youth from the community) a traditional shell money ‘tafuliae’ in settling the physical assault that he did to them late last year at the Burns Creek area, in east Honiara.
MP Auga said the token of the compensation was to show his remorse and sadness over what happened during the incident and should re-unite the parties in peace and friendship once again.
However, Mr Iromea still stands his ground claiming that the reconciliation has not gone down well with most of the members of his community.
He described the ceremony as a slap of the face of him as the community chairman and the men, women, and children of Burns Creek community, who were victims of the incident last year.
By RONALD TOITO’ONA
