Dear Editor – One Henry J Star Dora wrote under the heading, “they conspired and crucified Yow” in a letter which appeared in the Tuesday issue of your newspaper.
His “they” group comprises, the Attorney General, SIPA Board Chairman, President of SFA, and myself.
Not sure whether this is the same man who organised performances of many outside singers to perform in Honiara over the years.
Public outcry always followed in Honiara each time the entertainer departed because the money collected had either disappeared or bills left unpaid.
To be so blatantly blasphemous as he has done in his letter echoes a Colin Yow incarnate that he is.
Mr Dora, the fact of the matter is that Mr Yow crucified himself.
First, he ignored a High Court Order, instructing him to reinstate SIPA’s sacked workers, not once but twice.
He defied his own boss (the Board of SIPA) by blatantly ignoring Resolutions by the Board, not once but twice.
For example, he continued to attend office duties for a week even after he was sacked by the Board.
A High Court Injunction had to be applied for, which not only upheld his sacking but also prohibits him and his associates from entering premises owned and controlled by SIPA.
Mr Yow shot himself in the foot.
The long arm of the law finally caught up with him for knowingly and blatantly ignoring the law of this land, foolishly thinking that people like Mr Dora would save him.
Well, did you?
I am not here to defend Johnny Sy who is the President of the Solomon Forest Association. But I want to say this.
Mr Sy is one of the very few loggers who has a fine record of achievement in this country.
In his ten years as President of SFA, Mr Sy was largely responsible for the setting up of the PoB Bank three years ago.
This was at a time when Westpac Bank decided to close down accounts of individuals and corporate entity with links to logging in this country.
As a director of the Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau, Mr Sy was instrumental in organising the success of the Festival of Pacific Arts (FOPA), which Solomon Islands hosted a few years ago.
Further he has invested locally into the Cowboys Grill Bar and Restaurant which directly supports the local tourism and hospitality industry while also providing employment opportunities.
In terms of logging, he’s one of the very few loggers who is practising downstream processing consistent with Government policy, with over 300 Solomon Island workers employed by his company to operate their plywood factory at Lungga to export value added timber.
True no one is perfect, but as a businessman who pays tax, creates employment and reinvests into the country, Mr Sy’s record stands taller than many other so called foreign investors who reap profitable benefits from Solomon Islands resources yet offer little more than tax and wages as a return on their investment.
Mr Dora, the fact of the matter is Mr Yow crucified himself.
As the Bible says, the wages of sin is death, so Mr Yow has reaped the wages he had sown in the last 15 months – dismissal.
In doing so, he had crucified himself.
Alfred Sasako
Honiara
