Archive - Jun 27, 2011

Christmas in Gizo, Solomon Islands, 1991. A single bare fluorescent tube and whatever sunlight can struggle through the spider-webs and old advertisements for Coca Cola on tiny windows provide the only illumination for the shop, one of about a dozen look-alikes scattered along the town’s dusty main street.

There is so much happening on the political front that it needed a strong will power to finally overcome the temptation of taking that course in this diary. I trust colleagues on the ground are always the best placed to make some sense of it for you. But surely there is nothing more palatable than a full serve of intriguing Vanuatu politics to go with your weekend breakfast, whatever that is for you this morning.

Nasonal Pasifik Gems skwad we naoia oli stap pripea from ol frenli maj wetem Solomon Aelans mo Fiji, Eksekutif blong Vanuatu Futbol Federesen oli givim kasem Mandei nekis blong ol pleia we oli stap insaed long pri skwad be oli no stap attendem ol trening blong ol mas present long taem ia.

Eksekutif hemi mekem strong toktok ia afta we sam memba blong pri skwad oli no even mekem wan effot blong attendem ol trening sesen.

Seveners i kam blong bukum las ples insaed long premia lik afta we oli kam blong winim Academy long wan sko blong 2-0 long Tosdei wik ia oltaem long Port Vila Stadium.

Seveners we oli bin dominetem full maj ia oli bin makem tufala poen blong olgeta long fes haf long 38 minit thru long substitute straeka Timothy Job mo long 45 minit thru long Reece Lerr.

Afta long tufala poen ia Academy oli no save riplae bak nomata we oli bin gat sam janis long fored blong gol blong Seveners long taem ia.

1.    HISTORY (brief)
• VANGO was established in 1990 as an organization and its members has a lot of  expectations, but after all the financial crisis VANGO has gone through it has led VANGO Board of Directors in deciding to liquidate VANGO in 2008
•VANGO in the past has been going through a lot of changes especially in the SG position as well as the program and finance
•    After the 2000 VANGO had never had core funding till 2009 when NZAID step in to rescue VANGO’s financial battle.

On the 17th of June 2011 Vanuatu Associations of Non-Government Organisation (VANGO) had its Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the year as stipulated by its constitution. The meeting which took place in VANGO Conference room in its new office location had together a total of over forty members attending. According to the Secretary General Mrs. Vivian Licht who had been with Non-Government Organisation in Vanuatu for some years, the turnout was good as compared to other Annual General Meetings from the past.

In this, PART ONE of a two-part series (to be concluded next week), we are going to look at the merits or, perhaps I should say – the possible upside and downside to each of the above and for those who aren’t completely familiar with them, I’m also including an overview of them with an added reference to where they might sit in relation to the present global financial situation and how being invested in them might affect YOU. Please understand that the following comments are meant to be general in nature only.

Threats to terminate long time employee Tasso Sihos who served in the Northern Islands Stevedoring Company Limited (NISCOL) finally came to reality after he was terminated when his wife Councilor Elisabeth Sihos decided to join the National United Party (NUP), Alliance and Vanua’aku Party (VP) grouping in the formation of the LMC.

Mr Leong Kathy alleged the termination of Sihos may have come as a result of his wife’s refusal to form the Luganville Municipal Council with a faction led by the Union of Moderate Parties (UMP).

The School and Community Association (SCA) of Matevulu College are appealing to the general public especially the parents and guardians of students and to those who once made Matevulu their home to come forward and support raise funds for the deteriorating boys ablution block which has lost face for so many years and needs a major renovation.

The chairman of the PTA John Morrison said the boys’ ablution is one of the most deteriorating buildings that needs urgent renovation and is appealing to every concerned members of the community to lend a hand.

An induction workshop training organized by the Department of Local Authorities has heard that the LMC has a budget of just over 66 million vatu awaiting the approval of the minister responsible before the newly elected council may begin work as of July this year.

Reports reaching the post revealed that the former commission headed by Patu Lui has done its task in going well ahead to draw up the budget for the next session beginning July but it is now up to the council to put proper mechanisms in place in order to manage this affair wisely.