CURRENT struggles and difficulties Solomon Islanders face are a result of Government failures, Opposition leader Mathew Wale says.
He stated this in a lengthy and explosive speech he delivered in parliament yesterday in response to the speech from the throne.
“The oppressors have taken over everything from the oppressed ordinary Solomon Islanders, leaving them behind with nothing but powerless,” Wale said.
“To make it worst, the government has also stood close to the oppressors in support of what they do,” he added.
Wale said a clear example of this is the current issue of polluted water caused by logging just above the Kongulai water source.
“The shortage of water for more than five or six days is an example of what our people are left with as powers are on the sight of their oppressors and they feel powerless to do anything,” he said.
Wale said the power has already been given with the issuing of licence and development consent and what else they can do.
“If our people do anything, they will be taken to prison by police because the power is stand against our people and have been oppressed.
“Our oppressed people have been left with nothing after their oppressors went away with billions of dollars from their resources.”
The Opposition leader said Solomon Islanders have been deprived from the basic services and have felt powerless to do anything about it.
“When ordinary Solomon Islanders hear the economy is deprived of $SBD1.5 billion a year due to the determine price mechanism, that legitimise its price, they are outraged but are powerless and feel nothing in within their grasp to do.
“When they hear prohibited species were exported but declared as legal exportable species, they were outraged but they feel powerless.”
He added it becomes worse when leaders, who should be standing for the people, are involved in all these.
“All because power is on the side of the oppressors and our oppressed people have nothing else to do.
“To make it worse is when people hear that these loggers are close to the government that supposed represent them.”
By IAN M.KAUKUI
