Farmer Joe held its final draw this week for their F.M.F. Promotion giving out prizes that totalled more than $10,000.

Head of Sales for Ah Liki Wholesales, Losa Maiai Wallwork, said this was the first F.M.F. promotion this year.

“We want to give something back to our loyal customers,” she said. “F.M.F. is very popular in Samoa and we are grateful for the prizes they offered to give to the customers”.

These prizes include five tablets, five mountain bikes and 25 school bags and stationary sets that were given away to the 35 prize winners on Friday.

Winners also received F.M.F. T-shirts, caps and calendars.

The promotion was for customers who bought any F.M.F. biscuits at any of the Farmer Joe outlets at Fugalei, Vaitele, and Saleimoa.

Winners of the promotion were very grateful to Farmer Joe. “I’m so thankful that I now have a tablet. It’s a prize that I always wanted and now it’s like a dream come true,” said Rosa Togafau.

“A tablet is not cheap at all so I’m very much grateful to Farmer Joe”.

She was not the only one who had something to be thankful for. Makulata Vaimauga from Levi Saleimoa showed her appreciation.

“This mountain bike will be very useful so my husband can go to the plantation instead of walking all the way,” said Ms. Vaimauga.

“I can always use it for exercise as well”, she laughed. Another prize winner expressed similar sentiments.

“Today’s my daughter’s birthday and I guess winning a school bag and stationary set is a great gift for my daughter especially since we just enrolled her in school this year,” said Phillip Ulugia.

According to Mr. Ulugia, this is not the first time he had won a prize from Farmer Joe’s promotions. He was also one of the iPad winners for the Anchor promotion drawn at the beginning of this year.

“Farmer Joe will continue to give back to its loyal customers and we want to thank them for their continuous support “, said Ms. Wallwork.

Winners:

A. Mountain Bikes:
1. Toetu Laititi/ Satapuala
2. Faleaana Collins/ Afega
3. Makulata Alai/ Saleimoa
4. Rimoni Sio/ Fasitoo-tai

B. TABLETS:
1. Moomu Fatuaana/
2. Rosa Togafau/ Tuaefu
3. Selina Batiyaka/ Vaitele
4. Akeli Feagaiga/ Leauvaa

“E matua le malie lava lea tala-tausua, masalo ai e malie ia ia ae...e le malie, ma e le malie foi i isi tagata uma”

Na lapatai e le Sui Palemia o Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo le Faipule o le itumalo o Siumu, Tuu’u Anasii Leota, fa’asaga i le faia o ni tausuaga(tala ula) e lē malie.

“E matua le malie lava lea tala-ula, masalo ai e malie ia ia ae...e le malie, ma e le malie foi i isi tagata uma” Na tu’uina atu e Fonotoe lea lapataiga i le taimi o le fa’atalatalanoaga ma le Sunday Samoan i le Aso Faraile ina ua sailia se finagalo o le Sui Palemia i fa’aupuga a Tuu’u e fa’apea, ua tofia o ia e avea ma taitai o se vaega fa’aupufai fa’a-polokiki fou.

Talu ai ua toe suia fa’amatalaga a Tuu’u, e tusa ai ma lipoti a le au fa’asalalau, fai mai o fa’amatalaga na ia faia i le tulaga i se vaega-fa’aupufai fou, na faia i luga o lona fiamalie.

“O tala na ou fai atu i le au fa’asalalau i le aso na o atu ai mo le fonotaga a le Vaega Fa’a-Upufai o le Tautua ma le au fa’asalalau i le vaiaso talu ai, o ni tala-tausua uma ia fa’amatalaga,” o upu tu’u-sa’o ia a Tuu’u e pei ona fai mai ai le Nusipepa o le Newsline. “Ae e fa’ateia a’u ina ua lomia i se nusipepa.”

E le i fa’ailoa mai e Tuu’u le igoa o le nusipepa. Ae peitai, o le Sunday Samoa lea na mua’i fa’asalalauina lea tala i le Aso Sa i se itulau muamua o lo’o fa’aulutala ai e fa’apea, “O le a fa’atu se vaega fa’a-upufai fou –Tuu’u.”

O lea tala i le Sunday Samoa, e le i mai le fonotaga ma tusitala o lo’o fa’atatau i ai le saunoaga a Tuu’u.” E ui lava o lo’o fa’aautu le tala i le tali a Tuu’u i fesili mai le Sunday Samoa. Na tusi-lima e le Sui Faipule ana tali ma tu’uina mai e ia lava a’o fa’agasolo le ta’i to’afitu a Malisi i le Apia Park.

O se kopi o ana tali ua lomia i le nusipepa o le asō. I le Aso Lua, na toe fa’atalanoa ai Tuu’u e le Samoa Observer i le Maota o Tofilau Eti Alesana, lea na ia tala otooto mai ai e uiga i fuafuaga mo le pati fou.

O le fa’atalanoaga lena lea na ia lu’i ai le Palemia, o Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. O lea fa’atalanoaga sa fa’amauina(pu’e). Na fesiligia i le aso ananafi pe moni ana fa’amatalaga ia na tu’u sa’o mai e le Newsline, peitai na te’ena e Tuu’u le faia o se fa’amatalaga.

Peitai fai mai a ia, na ia talia ma le fa’amaoni lona tofiga e isi faipule o le H.R.P.P, o le ala lea na ia fa’amaonia ai lipoti e uiga i se pati fou i le Sunday Samoan, ina ua fesiligia o ia. Na tu’uina mai e le Faipule o Siumu igoa o sui e to’alua o le HRPP, ia na faia le “tofiga.”

E leai se isi o i laua na mafai ona fa’afeso’otai mo se fa’amatalaga i le aso ananafi. I le Aso Faraile, fai mai le Sui Palemia o Fonotoe e fa’apea, e tusa lava pe na tala-tausua Tuu’u e uiga i le fa’atuina o se pati fa’a-polokiki fou, na te le mafai ona iloa le mea e tupu mai ai.

“Ia, masalo o se tala ula mai lava i le amataga...matou te le iloa, ou te leiloa,” o Fonotoe lea. “

“E matua le malie lava lea tala-ula, masalo ai e malie ia ia ae...e le malie, ma e le malie foi i isi tagata uma” Fai mai le Sui Palemia, o le tasi mea e mautinoa ai, o le le’i tu’uina mai lea e Tuu’u o se fa’aaliga i le Vaega Fa’a-Upufai e Puipuia Aia Tatau a Tagata (HRPP) o lona fuafua e tu’ua le Pati.

“Na te le i tu’uina mai foi se fa’aaliga i le Fofoga Fetalai e tusa ai ma le TulafonoTumau o le Maota,” o Fonotoe lea.

“O lona uiga la, ou te leiloa- ae ua manino mai e fa’apea... o le taimi na ia faia ai lea fa’amatalaga e fa’apea o le a alu ese ma fa’atu se pati fou, o lana tala ula.” Fai mai Fonotoe, o le itu e tatau ona fa’amalamalama e fa’apea, afai ua manatu se sui usufono e alu ese ma se pati, o lana faitalia lena.

“Afai ua tonu ia te ia e tu’ua le pati, ona e iloa lea, e mafai ona ia tu’ua le pati i lona lava loto,” o lana fa’aaliga lea.

“Ae e tatau ona tausisi i le tulafono o lo’o fa’afoe a’i le oso atu i le isi pati i le isi pati po’o le sui o pati.” Ina ua fesiligia pe sa na talanoaina le mataupu ma Tuilaepa, fai mai Fonotoe e leai. “Ia, e ma te le’i talanoaina le mataupu, ae se’i tālia ia le toe taliu mai o le Palemia ma o le a va’ava’ai ai pe o le a lana fa’aiuga,” o lana fa’aaliga lea. “Na pau lena o lau fa’amatalaga e mafai ona fai atu i le tulaga lea.” Ua fuafua e toe taliu mai le faigamalaga a Tuilaepa i le aso a taeao mai i Niu Ioka.

O le talanoaina o le fa’atuina o se pati fou, e sau mai le fa’atupulaia pea o le le fiafia i sui o le HRPP e uiga i le fa’atinoga o galuega a le Minisita o Tupe, Faumuina Tiatia Liuga. Ua manana’o sui ia e le o malilie ina ia aveesea mai o ia mai le Kapeneta i luga o le fa’afoeina o ni mataupu se tele latou te le o fiafia i ai.

O nisi o ia mataupu, o lona fa’afoeina lea o le fausiaina o le Maketi i Fugalei, o lona ofisa fou i le S.N.P.F Plaza ma le faiga maoa’e e uiga i faiga-piopio i le Fa’alapotopotoga o Eleele o Samoa, a’o Minisita ai o ia. E le o le taimi muamua lea ua talosaga ai sui o le H.R.P.P i le Palemia o Tuilaepa mo le aveesea mai o le Minisita ma lona tofiga.

O le tausaga talu ai, na au fa’atasi ai Tuu’u i sui o le HRPP, ia na latou tusi atu i le Palemia ina ia aveese mai Faumuina. I lea tusi, na latou fa’ailoa ai tu’uaiga e 18 o faiga sese fa’asaga i le Minisita. Ina ua fesiligia pe le ono toe asia e le Kapeneta le mataupu ia Faumuina, ae tali mai Fonotoe, e tatau ona latou fa’atali se’ia toe taliu mai le Palemia. “O a’u lea ou te leoina le olo i le taimi nei, o lona uiga la, e leai se fa’aiuga fa’apena ua ou maua,” o lana fa’aaliga lea.

Fai mai a ia, o so’o se fa’aiuga e aveese ai Faumuina mai le pati, o le mataupu lena mo le Palemia ma le Fa’a-faletui a le H.R.P.P. “E tutusa lava le HRPP ma so’o se isi lava fa’alapotopotoga, e i ai mataupu ma taimi e le malilie uma ai sui o pati i se mataupu e tasi, e eseese uma lava o latou manatu, o le mea masani lava lena.”

Na toe fa’amaonia mai foi e Fonotoe e fa’apea, o lo’o malosi pea le HRPP. “E leai ma se mea matuia o tupu i le Pati.... o lea lava e alu lelei mea uma ma e leai se mea ogaoga tele o tupu,” o lana tala lea.

“Ae tou te iloa, ou te iloa ua uma ona fai atu ni fa’amatalaga a le Palemia ae lei malaga ese atu i luga o le leitio e uiga i lea mataupu. Ou te iloa na ia tu’uina atu se tali maumaututu. Na ia talanoaina le matupu i le au fa’asalalau, ou te masalo lava o lena.” I le lua vaiaso talu ai, na te’ena ai e le Palemia tu’uaiga, o lo’o i ai ni feeseeseaiga i totonu o le HRPP. Na ia talanoa fa’a-fia mai foi e fa’apea, ua i ai le fa’aiuga a le fa’a-faletui i le lumanai o le Minisita o Tupe.

“E le fou lea mea, “o Tuilaepa lea. “Ua uma ona matou fono e uiga i le tulaga lea.” I le fonotaga e pei ona fesiligia i le tausaga talu ai, na fai mai ai Tuilaepa, “e na o le tolu palota eseese na manana’o e fa’amavae o ia. O isi tagata uma, na manana’o ina ia fa’aauau pea lona tofiga ma o le tulaga lena na i ai.”

Na ia toe fa’apea mai, “E leai se mea o tupu [i totonu o le matou pati]. Na fai le matou pati anapo ma na i ai uma tagata sei vagana ai le to’alua lea o lo’o feita pea. E le o i ai lava se loto e fa’amagalo ai.” Ina ua fesiligia po’o ai ia sui e to’alua, ae fai mai o ia, “Ou te le ta’u atua po’o ai i laua ia.”

Fears of a last minute turn around by Cyclone Kofi do not appear to be warranted with the cyclone passing 1,100 kilometres due south of Samoa yesterday morning.

After forming as a tropical depression near Fiji two days ago, the cyclone headed in a south east direction towards Tonga.

Cyclone Kofi intensified but did not change direction and was still heading south east past Tonga last night, at about 11 knots.

Matangi Tonga reported that “Tropical Cyclone Kofi brought heavy rain and gusts of up to 48 knots (90kmph) to Tongatapu early this morning as the system moved to the southwest of Tonga, causing broken branches and sea flooding of low lying areas, but no major damage has been reported at this stage.”

At noon yesterday, Radio Australia quoted Tonga Meteorological Services as saying that “a cyclone warning remains in force for waters south of Tongaapu and Eua, but is now cancelled for land areas of Tongatapu, Eua and Ha'apai.”

Meanwhile, for Samoa, the Meteorological Division said that an active convergence zone remains in the vicinity of Samoa.

Associated showers and fresh to gusty winds continue to affect the group. A wind advisory remains in effect for all of Samoa.

A green sea turtle was found dead by La Union fishermen on Friday after it was believed to have swum 8,000 kilometers from Samoa.

The fishermen of Taboc village in San Juan town found the turtle floating about 200 meters from the shore.

The turtle was tagged with the inscription “240 Apia Samoa sprep@sprep.org 448695.”

“Maybe it was coming to feed,” said Laura- Amelie Riavitz, an Austrian marine biologist who serves as a marine resources consultant in La Union province.

The sea turtle measured 6 feet from the tip of its head to its tail, had a diameter of 4.5 feet and weighed 140 kilograms.

It was estimated to be between 50 and 80 years old. San Juan is a nesting ground for sea turtles but Riavitz said the turtle, a female, had not laid any eggs.

“Sea turtles only lay eggs where they are born. “The tag might have been put there when it was nesting in Samoa,” Riavitz said.

The fishermen reported their find to Science of Identity Foundation, which is promoting coastal underwater resource management and the conservation and protection of sea turtles.

Riavitz said they were unable to determine the cause of the turtle’s death, although she speculated that the creature might have collided with a ship as it swam to La Union.

No outer injuries were apparent from the initial examination of the turtle.

Samoa Tautua Party whip and Faleata West MP Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi says that teachers with more than ten years experience should be exempt from a deadline requiring degree qualifications by next year.

He strongly opposes comments from the Public Service Commission (P.S.C.) that teachers should go back to school to get better salaries.

“Nothing beats experience.”

Degrees come after, said Leala. His comments follow statements made by P.S.C. Chairman Tuu’u Dr. Ieti Taulealo in response to calls from teachers across the country to raise their pay.

At a press conference earlier last week, Tuu’u made claims that the current P.S.C. salary structure only allows teachers to have low pay if they have no university degrees.

And any teacher who doesn’t have a degree will never get a salary range over $20,000.

But Lealailepule said he strongly believes that “special treatment” is required for this profession.

He questioned who would teach the students if 88 per cent of the teachers with no degrees have to head back to university to study.

He believes that there should have been some foundation in place long ago to deal with this issue.

Especially since qualifications are not a new matter but an issue that has been brought up many times.

Lealailepule is also against the fact that Tuu’u had responded after Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi had already spoken about the matter.

“The Prime Minister doesn’t talk about one thing and these people about another.”

He said the role of P.S.C. and officials is to act as advisors of government.

Regardless of what their decision is – right or wrong, the government makes the final call, he said. Leala has called the response from Tuu’u “inappropriate”.

The expertise is with the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture, he said.

“P.S.C. advises but does not instruct M.E.S.C. on what to do,” said the Tautua whip. He is also rubbishing claims by P.S.C. that there are no “teacher shortages”.

“How is that possible when every M.P. that speaks in Parliament brings up this issue of teacher shortage?”

This very issue has been brought up even in the past parliamentary terms said Lealailepule.

His views regarding teachers were also shared by Shadow Minister of Finance and Tautua Party member Afualo Wood Salele.

He thinks that teachers who have served longer than 10 years as teachers should not be included in the push by P.S.C. to have teachers return to University to get their teaching degrees.

It was also unfair on teachers living on Savai’i.

“This is why it was suggested that a branch of the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.)be established in Savai’i.

“Now this has come up,” he said. He also believes that redundancies should be prepared for teachers that are coming close to retirement age.

Because, “no elderly teacher wants to return to school”. Shadow Minister of Education Sports and Culture, Aveau Niko Palamo also questioned the deadline to have all teachers qualified by next year.

He asked if teachers were being encouraged to go back to school for five years to get their degrees - who would fill the void.

He is sure teachers want to return to get a degree but “the problem is time”, he said.

“You cannot say that there are more teachers to students – some teachers are teaching three levels.”

He raised the issue of a lack of respect shown to teachers, including students laughing at teachers when they speak English.

“Just because a teacher speaks good English doesn’t make them smart - English is not our language.”

He feels that classes should be conducted in the Samoan language to solve this issue.

“All teachers are intelligent”.

And what is needed is for teachers to come up with good teaching methods to accommodate and ensure that students are well educated.

“Ou te iloa o le Pulega o Uafu a Samoa, ua silia ma le 30 miliona tala le aitalafu ua i ai le taimi nei,” o lana saunoaga lea.

O le Minisita Fa’aolioli a le Tautua, Susuga Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi, ua ia tuuaia le Malo i le faaaluina o le faitau miliona tala o tupe mo le Pulega o Uafu a Samoa, le (S.P.A.)

O loo tuuaia nei e le Sui o le Palemene mai le Itumalo a Faleata i Sisifo e faapea o loo nofo aitalafu le Pulega o Vaa a Samoa i le silia lea ma le $30 miliona tala, i le tele o atinae soonafai ae leai se aoga, lea e aofia ai le Uafu a Satitoa o loo i ai nei.

“O le a le mea o le a fai i lea tupe ua faaaluina,” o le saunoaga lea a Lealailepule. “ O le mea tonu lava lea o loo matou tuitui atu ai, ona o nei atinae, ua le faamanuiaina ma aoga. O le taimi nei, o le a ua e vaai i se ata faataatia. Ua peiseai ua na o le lafoaina lava ese o le faitau miliona tala i le sami.

” Na saunoa Lealailepule i le Samoa Observer e faapea, na ia maua ain i lipoti o le taitaia lea o Uafu ma tatau ona aveese mai le Pulega o Uafu a Samoa ma tuuina atu i le Faalapotopotoga o Vaa a Samoa, le Samoa Shipping Corporation (S.S.C).

Ua faitau fia miliona tala tupe a le Malo ua in magoto i le vasa loloa,” o lana faamatalaga lea. Na faafesootai le Ofisa Sili o le Pulega o Uafu a Samoa, Tufuga Tagaloa Tufuga mo sana faamatalaga. Ae peitai, na saunoa Leala, e tatau i le malo ona silasila totoa i le faitau aofai o le tupe ua faamaimauina e le Pulega o Uafu a Samoa i lalo o le taitaiga a le Pulega.

O le tulaga lea na ala ai ona matou tuitui atu ma faamanatu atu pea i le tele o tausaga ua alu, ina ia silisili loloto mo se isi galuega fou ma le atinaeina lelei o le atunuu, ao lei faatinoina ni galuega. “Silasila la i ai, o fea o i ai i le taimi nei, o le a le tulaga ma le faafitauli ua aliae mai.?

Mai se faaiuga o le faamaimauina o nei tuoe, saunoa ai Leala o le mea moni lava ua leai ma se tupe o toe totoe i le Pulega i le taimi nei.

O le mafuaaga lena ua toe taunapa ai i le Malo mo le toe faaleleia o lea tulaga.

“O gaioiga nei a le Malo, o le o taumafai le Pulega mo atinaega mo i latou,” o lana saunoaga lea. O loo tuuaia e le Sui Faipule e faapea e le i manao le Faalapotopotoga o Vaa a Samoa, e taitaia ni uafu se lua.

“Sa faatino foi e le Faalapotopotoga o Vaa a Samoa se leleiga ma se atinae lelei, ae le gata i lea, o ni tiute maeaea ma lelei.” Saunoa Leala, o le Pulega ma le Aufaigaluega a le Pulega o Uafu a Samoa, sa tatau i ai latou ona latou faaeteete i tulaga.”

“O le tulaga aupito i sili lea e ala ai lava ona matou pisapisa soo ma matou faitioina atinae soonafai ae leai se aoga, o le foi le mea ua tulai i le taimi nei, ua foliga mai e nao le togi ma lafo o faitau miliona tala o tupe i le vasa loloa ma magoto ai, ae leai se aoga mo le atinaeina o le atunuu.”

Na ia faapea mai ua matua le aoga ma lusi le fia miliona ta, o le soona faaalu le malamalama, leai se faaeteetega sa latou faatinoina i le taimi ua tuanai.

“O le taimi nei, o le mea moni lava, e le o iloa e le Malo le mea o loo tuuina mai ai nei tupe, lea e faatino ai nei galuega.”

TAUSAGA TALU AI

O tala fou o le toe faatuina o le paoa mai le pulega i le faalapotopotoga o loo mulimuli mai lea na faatino i le tausaga talu ai, i le va o le feagaiga mai le malo i le tausaga talu e faapea o uafu ua aoga tele.

I le masina o Setema, na puipuia ai e le Minisita o Galuega, Felauaiga ma Galuega tetele, Manualesagalala, Enokati Posala le fuafuaga a le Malo, ina ia faatumauina le faitau miliona tala o tupe mo le uafu o loo i Satitoa.

Na fesiligia afai o le a tulai mai le uafu i se tulaga lelei, ma toe faaopoopoina se isi tupe te faafaigaluega talu mai nei tulaga faigata ua faatino, na saunoa mai le Minisita o lea lava. Na ia faamataina, afai o le a lelei tulaga uma, ona avea lea o le uafu a Satitoa ma se vaega taua o fuafuaga a le Malo, ma se atinae lelei mo le lumanai o tagata Aleipata.

O le faamoemoe o le Malo mo lenei uafu, o tupe teu faafaigaluega mo le aufaifaiva ma isi auaunaga e aofia ai vaa fagota, e pei ona ia taua i le Samoa Observer.

‘ Ae le gata i lea o le taua o a tatou atinaega mo turisi ma ia mautinoa lelei o loo tatou taumafai foi e faatosina mai Tutuila iinei.” Mai lena taimi, ua faataatia ese nei e le Minisita nei lipoti e faapea ua le toe faaogaina nei lenei uafu.

Ae peitai, na ia faamaonia mai e faapea o faigalamalaga a le Lady Naomi mo Amerika Samoa, ua le toe faaogaina le uafu i Aleipata. “Na faamalosia e le Faalapotopotoga e na o le tasi lava i le vaiaso o le malaga, i le va o Samoa e lua, ona faaitiitiga foi tagata femalagaai,” na ia taua nei faamatalaga.

 “Mo le tulaga tau tamaoaiga ma femalagaiga i va o le mamalu o le atunuu, ua matou fuafuaina le faaogaina o le uafu i Matautu mo le taimi nei. Saunoa Manualesagalala e faapea, ua tuuina atu nei galuega i le Faalapotopotoga o Vaa a Samoa ae o le a faaauau pea ona vaaia e le Pulega o Uafu a Samoa le uafu. E le i mafai ona faafesootai atu Manualesagalala mo se faamatalaga o lea lipoti.

VAIASO NEI

O le vaiaso lenei, na saunoa ai Lealailepule e faapea ua ave le latou faamuamua i le malu puipuia o lea paoa i le nofoaiga muamua a le Palemene i lenei tausaga. Na ia saunoa foi o faafitauli o loo i le Pulega o Uafu a Samoa ma le pulega muamua, lea e le o nofoia i le taimi nei. “na fesiligia foi e Leala le galuega o se tasi o vaa ua faaigoaina o le “One Dollar Boat” lea e faasino i le “Floating Restaurant” lea na magoto e lalata lea i Aleipata.

O se tasi o faataitaiga o tupe faaalu, ua ia saunoa ai, sa i ai le vaa ua taua o le “The Palolo, lea e faitau miliona tala foi le tupe na faaaluina ai, saunoa Leala, o le vaa foi lena na goto i Mulifanu.

Ao faaaluina ai le tele o tupe mo nei mau galuega, saunoa Leala e tatau i le Pulega ona mafaufau loloto i le tele o galuega ma e tatau ona faatino ni atinaega lelei mo le faatumauina o lelei atoatoa o uafu a Samoa. - Faatasi ai ma nisi o lipoti mai i a Jasmine Netzler

O le saunoaga lenei a le Faamasino Sili, Afioga Patu Falefatu Maka Sapolu i le Fa’atautoga o Fepulea’i Ameperosa Roma e avea ma Faamasino ole Faamasinoga Faaitu-Malo. Lau Susuga ile Taitai ole Sauniga, lau Susuga ile Faifeau Toeaina Faatonu ia Tavita Anesone.

Lau Afioga ile Alii Sui Palemia, Lau Afioga ile Minisita o Faamasinoga, faapea le Aiga Kapeneta. A outou Afioga i Faamasinoga 0 le Faamasinoga.

Lau Afoga i le Sui Fofoga Fetaiai ma Sui a Faipule ole Fono Aoao Fai Tulafono Lau Afioga iie Taitaifono oie Ekaiesia Faaptoptopoga Kerisiano i Samoa ma lou Faletua faapea le Aufaigaluega Paia ale Atua.

Lau Afioga ile Alii Faamasino faatoa maea ona faatautoina ma lou Faletua faapea le Maaveeseese o oulua Aiga. Sui o le Komisi o Galuega aie Faamasinoga i le Alii Loia Sm ale Maio faapea le Sui ole Minisita o Faamasinoga.

Le Taitaifono ma Sui ole Komisi o Tagata Faigaluega ale Maio. Le Komesina o Sulufaiga. Fauluuluga o Matagaluega ale Malo. Lau Tofa Masinalupe Tusipa faapea le Maaveeseese ole Aufaigamega ale Matagaluega o Faamasmoga. Lea ua lelei le tatou aufaipese ae toe ose piano fou.

Ole mea sili o lea e afio mai le Minisita o Faamasinoga. Lau Afioga Feesago Fepuleai ma lou Faletua. Le Peresetene, Sui Peresetene, faapea Sui ole Sosaiete a Am ma Tamaitai Loia o Samoa.

Le Paia ole maaveaveeseese ile Aofia ua tatou faatasi i lenei taeao. 0 se taimi ona saunoa lea ole Alii Loia Sili ale Malo faapea le Tamaitai Peresetene ole Sosaiete a Loia I lau Afioga ile Alii Faamasino faatoa maea ona faatautoina e tusa ma lau galuega faa-Loia ma la outou mafutaga faa-Loia.

A’o le taimi nei ole a avea lo’u teo e fai ma sui ole Faamasinoga e matou te faa-feiloai aloaia atu ai i lau Afioga ile Alii Faamasino faatoa mae’a ona faatautoina. Fa’aauau atu i le aso taeao

New Zealand government policy that ignores the personal, cultural and educational benefits of Pasifika languages to school children with Pacific heritage will leave those children monolingual in English.

That’s according to A.U.T. University languages expert, Associate Professor Sharon Harvey, Head of the School of Language and Culture at A.U.T.

Language and Culture at A.U.T. She says that the government’s Pasifika Education Plan 2013 – 2017 and comments by the Minister of Education Hekia Parata make it clear that the teaching of Pasifika languages in primary schools will not be resourced by government even when schools have substantial numbers of Pasifika learners and the impetus to offer bilingual education.

“Many education systems internationally support the learning of three or more languages to a high level of proficiency but in New Zealand we do the opposite.

“Many of our children come into school with proficiency in, or access to, two or more languages and leave with only one - English.

“The banning of Maori in New Zealand schools throughout much of the 20th century led directly to the demise of the language in all domains.

“The lack of support for and recognition of the importance of Pasifika languages to Pasifika students for their personal, cultural and social identity, as well as educational achievement is having the same effect on Pacific languages and communities.

“The relentless emphasis on reading, writing and mathematics through National standards has meant a stronger and stronger focus on English in all but Maori medium schools.

“There is no recognition that bilingual education and gaining literacy proficiency in languages other than English has strong crossover effects for students and may well raise educational performance in all their languages.”

Assoc. Prof Harvey says the paper Languages of Aotearoa/NZ released last year by the Royal Society of New Zealand summarises the positive learning and identity effects of young people becoming proficient in languages other than the dominant societal language.

“This effect is likely to be even more pronounced for Pasifika students learning their family and cultural language.

“In New Zealand we are effectively operating an English-only policy in schools that are not Maori medium. This is a travesty for generations of Pacific learners in particular.”

Assoc. Prof Harvey supports the call by Human Rights Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy for a National Languages Policy.

“A national languages policy would help us discuss and debate our language needs and responsibilities in a principled and informed way without placing languages in competition with one another.

“We need to recognise, work with and make the most of our rich language diversity in New Zealand. “Pacific languages are a vital pillar in that picture,” she said.

“They need to be maintained and promoted across the policy spectrum, but in the first instance through the Ministry of Education.”

The First Samoan organization claims Misa stole the church, though Misa counters that First Samoan never owned it

An American judge has ruled that a dispute among a tight-knit Samoan Pentecostal community is, at its core, a battle over ordinary property rights rather than a divine matter exempt from court oversight.

The decision means that the congregation of Carson Bethel Church, which holds the titles and deeds of ownership for its buildings, will likely be able to keep them instead of handing over the keys to its home church organization, the First Samoan Full Gospel Pentecostal Church Inc.

in American Samoa. When Carson Bethel Church congregants got the news this week that the church they financed will likely remain in their possession, they “rejoiced and prayed, thanking the Lord for that moment,” said church secretary Ruth Tasi-Uelese.

“Then, in the evening, we went before the Lord and thanked the Lord for everything, said praises and cried.” Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Barry heard testimony in a weeklong trial in November to determine who actually owns the church’s two Alameda Street buildings.

Though the pastor holds the deeds, the First Samoan elders claimed the church belongs to them because it formed under the First Samoan umbrella.

“The concern was whether the nature of the dispute between the parties barred the court from handling the case because it involved ecclesiastical matters which fall outside a civil court’s jurisdiction,” Barry said in a Feb. 20 written ruling that was passed along to local congregants on Monday.

“The pleadings do not call for the court to resolve matters of religious faith or beliefs.

The court will resolve the case on the merits based upon neutral principles of California law.” Carson Bethel Church was founded by newly relocated Pentecostal Pacific Islanders in the early 1980s as an “unincorporated association,” said its current pastor, Tiagogo Misa.

The First Samoan organization claims Misa stole the church, though Misa counters that First Samoan never owned it.

Samoans settled in the South Bay and Long Beach area in large numbers after first relocating to Hawaii for military jobs in the 1950s. As they settled on the West Coast, they founded churches like the one in Carson to maintain close ties.

When Misa took over its leadership in 1988, he also oversaw the property’s mortgage, maintenance and taxes.

As the congregation grew, Misa and other members of the church leadership decided to buy a second building nearby in 2002.

Though the congregation struggled financially, its members still sent thousands of dollars home each year to the First Samoan Full Gospel Pentecostal Church, but in return received little support, Misa said.

In 2010, Misa said the church became concerned that the money sent to the larger church wasn’t being properly accounted for and seemed to be going right into the pockets of individuals.

Carson Bethel Church members were so worried about this problem that they prayed and fasted for a month over it, ultimately deciding that most of them wanted to cut all ties with the organization.

Within a year, the First Samoan Full Gospel Pentecostal Church Inc. sued the Carson congregation for its property.

Misa acted “despicably,” and “fraudulently,” according to the suit, which alleged that the pastor stole First Samoan’s property.

But, in court, the plaintiff couldn’t produce any deeds or other documents proving that it actually owned the church. On the other hand, Misa had the paperwork showing that the congregation had paid for its facilities.

Barry said this lack of documented connection between the Carson church and the First Samoan organization was a crucial reason for his decision.

“It had no settled rules, procedures, or protocols for its administration at the time, and no tribunal for adjudicating the internal dispute that arose when defendants notified plaintiff that they intended to sever their relationship,” Barry wrote.

“Perhaps the best evidence that plaintiff is a loose, voluntary affiliation of people who share common cultural and religious bonds is the disorganized, almost chaotic manner in which, over the course of the litigation, plaintiff responded to basic requests for the production of corporate records.”

Key members of the First Samoan organization testified that they are an informal group that doesn’t rely on paperwork for agreements, but Barry said that worked against them. Barry cited a statement by one First Samoan church leader who said the group has “very few written rules and regulations as we are a very trusting and homogeneous group, being mostly of Samoan heritage.”

Both sides will return to Barry’s courtroom on March 19 to either schedule a full trial or settle the defendant’s motion for summary judgment. Ronald E. Faulk, the plaintiff’s attorney, did not respond to a request for comment on Barry’s latest decision, but the attorney for Carson Bethel Church said the complaint by First Samoan was really about money and revenge against Misa for defecting from the group.

“This is really about greed,” said Lynn Moyer, the congregation’s attorney. “It’s really about the property. It’s wrong for them to come in and try to do a property grab.”

Twenty three young students were given awards last Friday for their winning answers to environmental quizzes published in newspapers including the Samoa Observer. Here are some more photos of winners and supporters of the programme from the presentation held on Friday.

A student from Maluafou College was among three students from the Pacific region who produced climate change media pieces about the issue in the Pacific.

During the process, Lousia Tovio, of Taufusi, gained insightful information on climate change issues.

And that’s not all. The young student also learned from New Caledonia when she attended the Pacific Media Summit that took place from 10 to 14 February. The other two students were Mariah Nasak from Vanuatu and Shivneel Narayan from Fiji.

The trio were part of the A2C2 team in Noumea to raise the profile of the issues and impacts of climate change with the Pacific media.

“I was invited by Adam Bumpus and Joelle Auffray from Apidae to represent my A2C2 group in New Caledonia at the Pacific Media Summit,” Ms. Tovio writes.

“My presentation was held at the SPC Conference Centre at 11:45pm on the 12th of February. I saw lots of different people from different countries who work in the media. I was so super nervous when I saw them.

“To get ready for my presentation, I did a warm up with my group, led by Adam. We did things like feeling the floor and working on my vocals so I could speak louder and people would hear me.

“I even took off my shoes for the presentation so I could feel the floor! The warm up really made me feel more comfortable.

“Then, I did my presentation clearly in front of the audience. I acted like I’m the boss and they are the employees. By doing it like this, I felt more confortable like everyone would listen to me and I am in charge!”

The group also produced a photo-story on their observations and learning of climate change issues in New Caledonia to be presented to their schools when they returned.

Taking a tour to the Riviere Bleue the students were inspired by the botanical education.

However, they also realised New Caledonia, an island in the Pacific just like theirs, is living in two worlds.

In one, it is most likely to be affected by climate change in the near future; and in the other, it is one of the amateurs contributing to carbon emissions in the world.

Mariah Nasak says, “I think that New Caledonia is taking the easy way out, in terms of their economy. To keep their economy alive, it means pollution.”

The A2C2 Project is a PACMAS initiative implemented by Apidae Development Innovations bringing together youth from across the Pacific to produce innovative and targeted media content on climate change to increase awareness about the impacts and solutions of climate change, and to encourage positive action among key decision makers.

Ms. Tovi’o is a year 12 student from Maluafou.

She was mentored along with other high school students in the production of innovative and targeted media content on climate change awareness to encourage positive influence on policy around climate change nationally and regionally.

From being among the healthiest humans anywhere in the world when the western world discovered the islands not so long ago, people of Pacific islands origin find themselves at the very bottom of the heap when it comes to health related statistics in today’s times.

This alarming decline in their general health has taken place in the space of not more than a couple of generations. As things stand today, if one goes by the statistics, the situation is already out of control with little being done to reverse this disturbing trend.

Pacific islanders are today among the worst sufferers of lifestyle diseases, something that was largely alien to them more than a couple of generations ago. The reasons for this concerning state of affairs are not far to seek and though these are several, they should not be viewed in isolation—the present situation is because of a combination of factors. Historically, when the world was a far less connected place, isolated populations were self-sufficient.

They grew their own food, were perfectly adapted to their environment, lived in harmony with their ecosystems and free of the compulsions of unbridled consumption of consumer goods. Having evolved over hundreds of years, communities had a struck an equilibrium with their natural surroundings.

This way of life entailed hard physical labour, making the ideas such as the modern pursuit of fitness a part of everyday life. It also resulted in people partaking of food they grew with their own efforts, using little or no artificial chemical input.

Their wild catch was then free of pollutants, additives and preservatives—a far cry from what is available today. As the world became more and more connected and commerce began to flow into the islands, people were exposed to a range of ills that today have become the bugbear of their lives.

For one, early Westerners brought diseases which were unknown to islanders and to which they had little or no resistance at all. Unfortunately, this trend has continued on to modern times where tourists and foreigners continue to bring new ailments into the islands, whether they are communicable diseases or those of the more insidious non-communicable variety.

Globalisation has led to the dumping of low quality, cheap foods on to the poorer, more disadvantaged nations like those of the Pacific islands region. After nearly two decades of having dumped fat-laden meat of poor quality, islands administrations have now begun putting restrictions on such imports.

Looking at the health statistics of their citizens, one wonders whether these measures are too little too late at this stage.

Migrations in large numbers have caused able-bodied young people to live and work in distant countries leaving larger populations of the elderly and the very young back in the islands. This has left these countries bereft of able hands for tasks like growing food.

The gap here has been happily lapped up by the suppliers of cheap, highly processed imported foods that are laden with excessive amounts of sugar and fat.

The deleterious effects of excessively high sugar and fat are too well known, being responsible for lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and obesity. But what is even more alarming is the effects of such diets that an increasingly larger numbers of Pacific islanders depend on.

A detailed study of such highly sugarladen foods of the type available cheaply in supermarkets and fast food restaurants in an Australian university has raised alarm that a diet full of saturated fat and sugar could instigate immediate effect on the brain’s cognitive ability and cause memory loss. Long-term spatial memory loss has been conclusively linked to diets chock-a-block with starch and sugar.

This is a severe warning to Pacific islanders who are known to be high consumers of such highly processed, excessively sugar and fat-laden foods.

The interesting part of the study—covered in more detail elsewhere in this issue—is that it has a Pacific islands focus, connecting many of the findings to the situation many Pacific islanders find themselves in, no matter where they live, whether in the islands, New Zealand or Australia. It sets out clearly what foods are suitable to Pacific islanders’ diets and what are not.

This is important to be taken note of because under the processes of globalisation, it is only prices and markets that dictate food consumption in poorer countries rather than their suitability to the consuming public.

It is no overstatement to say that the situation is alarming. It has been known for some length of time now that Pacific Islanders are among the most obese people on the planet, with occurrences of the ailment reaching levels of as much as 80 percent of the population in some countries.

This has led to run away incidences of diseases like diabetes, hypertension and heart malfunction—and that too in a situation where the countries have neither the infrastructure nor the human capacity to deal with the problem.

Because of the complex nature of the problem and the multiple reasons responsible for it, any action that seeks to counter the situation would need to be a multi-pronged one. Education, infrastructure, capacity building and encouraging people to go back to basics— their traditional diets to which they are genetically attuned has all to be undertaken on a war footing. While that would certainly need funding, which could possibly be obtained, it is impossible to obtain any funding for political will.

That, which is always in short supply, needs to be provided by the region’s leaders. Other initiatives will then follow relatively easily.

All, however, is not lost. As the study points out, some countries are doing more than others in combatting obesity and ushering in a climate of convincing people to go back to natural foods. One of these is Vanuatu. Fiji too has had a programme for some time now.

Other countries, particularly in Polynesia, where the incidence of obesity and lifestyle ailments is highest in the Pacific, need to take things up immediately and decisively.

On the education and awareness front, it is good to note that a new magazine dedicated to Pacific islanders’ health has been launched in New Zealand, which hopefully will be accessed online throughout the Pacific.

“There are procedures that must be followed and as Chief Executive Offi cer of the Prime Minister’s offi ce and the Immigration we will do what is right against any unlawful act.”

A former member of parliament shouted and screamed at Immigration staff who allegedly let him go overseas after a phone call despite an official ‘stop order’ prohibiting his departure from the country.

Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Vaosa Epa, has confirmed they are investigating how the former politician was allowed to leave the country.

“The ministry will deal with the problem and the government has its own way of dealing with these complaints when they arise. Her comments follow a complaint from a woman who said she paid $1,400 tala in fees to get a Departure Prohibited Order against the man concerned.

He could not be contacted and is understood to be at a family funeral in New Zealand.

But Mrs. Epa said that they would look into the complaint about the 'stop order'.

“There are procedures that must be followed and as Chief Executive Officer of the Prime Minister’s office and the Immigration we will do what is right against any unlawful act.”

The complaint comes from Mrs. Tea Sanft, who accused the former politician of owing her thousands of dollars. Her case against the man is due for hearing in March. Which is why she sought the Departure Prohibited Order (D.P.O.).

“The whole reason for doing it is because I heard that there are previous cases when, around the time of the court hearing, he always leaves the country, and it takes a long time for him to return and I don’t want that to happen in my case,” she said. She said she paid the $1,400 for an urgent D.P.O. to stop the man from travelling outside Samoa.

Contacted for comment, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Immigration Seuamuli Henry Taefu said there was no such charge for a Departure Prohibited Order, saying the fee must have come from her lawyer. Mrs. Sanft’s lawyer, Tima Leavai, declined to comment on the matter. Mrs. Sanft is adamant that she followed the right procedures but has nothing to show for it.

“What’s really sad, after paying the order which I can now describe as ‘throwing money into the rubbish’ I also checked with the airport to see whether the D.P.O. was already on the system.”

“Last Thursday evening he went to New Zealand and he had an argument with the Immigration employees that were working that night.”

“The Immigration officer at the airport confirmed that it was already on the system.” Mrs. Sanft claims things got heated at the airport.

“He was shouting at the top of his voice saying that he didn’t know what they meant.” She claims the officer ended up calling Seuamuli who gave the authority to allow him to go. Angered by the alleged breach of the stop order, Mrs. Sanft said she went to see Seuamuli the next morning.

“I asked him what exactly is D.P.O. for in Samoa?” “He asked me what exactly was my point, and I told him that I was paying $1,400 for the D.P.O. and why in the world did he allow [him] to go?”

Mrs. Sanft claimed that Seumuli told her to ‘be patient, he will come back on Monday, he is away for a family fa’alavelave’, or function. “Why keep on worrying, he will be here at the hearing of your case”, she said he told her.

Mrs. Sanft said she told Seuamuli her court hearing was not the problem. What she wanted to know was what worth was it to pay $1,400 for a D.P.O. when she might as well have thrown the money into a rubbish bin, if he was allowed to leave the country.

“Where is the truth?” she asked. She said she was told that the man concerned must sign the order before it can become effective.

Mrs. Sanft accused Immigration of avoiding responsibility for the failed order. “Who is responsible? Not me.”

Mrs. Epa, the C.E.O. from the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, confirmed that Mrs. Sanft had contacted her last Friday.

“I already told Tea to go and write us a report concerning the issue and we will move on our investigation.” Mrs. Epa said that she would seek quick responses from those concerned.

“I will require a reply from Seuamuli before Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi is back.”

Why?

“I am sure the matter will end up with Tuilaepa because he is the minister for the Immigration and a matter like this must be presented to him with full details and an investigation.”

She said that Immigration officers are not authorised to cancel a departure order.

“The only person that can authorise cancellation on a D.P.O. is the Prime Minister and that is only in special cases; even then procedures must be carefully followed as well.”

“There is lots of paper work involved, because we have to deal with the Ministry of Justice, and other related reports, but this cannot be done by the authority on the phone. “Proper procedures and careful actions must be taken first before any cancellations of a D.P.O. if we deal with such a case.”

However, the Immigration Act 2004 makes no mention of the Prime Minister being able to cancel a Departure Prohibited Order, according to documents on the Samoa Law Information site. Only the courts, and the Attorney General, can issue and cancel such stop orders. Under Part Four, Section 26, the Attorney General has the authority to revoke a stop order – but only those orders made by the Attorney General - him or herself.

Their authority does not extend to stop orders issued by the court. An Attorney General can issue a stop order in cases of national security, national interest or a criminal case, for up to three months. The courts can issue a stop order for a maximum of six months, including for debts exceeding a limit set by the mini s ter responsi b le for Immigration.

For his part, Seuamuli Henry Taefu, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Immigration; also confirmed talking with Mrs Sanft. “I already told her that a stop notice is issued only to those who are found guilty of not paying a debt that is over $7,000.”

“And that order is not from me or anyone else but from the court.”

The man concerned has “not yet been found guilty so she should wait until the hearing.”

If the man does not appear that day, then that is when she should come and contact Immigration. He confirmed cancelling the stop order.

“One of my employees contacted me on the phone and an investigation into previous travel was carried out before releasing him to attend his relative’s funeral in New Zealand.”

He said that records show the man usually comes and goes overseas and there was no need to stop that person if he had not been found guilty.

As for the $1,400 charge, he said there is no such fee paid to their office. “Must be the lawyer’s fee," he said. Meantime, “There is no need to take any action until we receive a court order from Justice that the person is found guilty.”

“There are also rules and policies that I myself am guided by in doing my job.”

However, again , t h e Immigration Act 2004 does not appear to support this interpretation. Part 4 Section 25 (a) allows the courts to issue an order against a person who “has a debt or debts in Samoa in excess of the amount determined by the Minister by Notice and is unlikely to pay such debt or debts if allowed to depart from Samoa”.

Alternatively, under subsection (b), a person “currently involved as a party or as a witness in a civil or criminal case which is before the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court or the Lands and Titles Court or the District Court and it is not in the interests of justice for the person to depart from Samoa”.

This means a ‘stop order’ may be given by the courts against someone yet to be proven ‘guilty’ of owing debts.

A regional approach is what is needed to boost local tourism industries within the South Pacific.

This is according to the South Pacific Tourism Organisation’s Project Manager Chris Cocker.

At a Pacific Regional Tourism Strategy (P.T.R.S.) 2015-2019 stakeholder consultation held at the Tanoa Tusitala yesterday, members of the local tourism sector got the opportunity to discuss the strategy. Mr Cocker said the reason why a regional approach was important was because this cooperation provides advantages for South Pacific countries, where issues are regional in nature. “For example, Pacific branding, advocacy, cruise shipping, aviation, education and labour mobility,” he said.

“Cooperation between our Pacific regional marketing has benefits for all countries. “Particularly in the emerging markets, Pacific Village, road shows and niche markets in terms of more cost effective marketing under a regional approach. “In terms of providing specialised technical input and being more efficient and effective in capacity building…with N.T.O. (National Tourism Office) and operator training and visitor support.

“Cooperation encourages sustainable development across Pacific countries through the sharing of ideas ‘best practice’ and capacity building.”

In her opening remarks the Samoa Tourism Authority (S.T.A.) C.E.O. and Chair of the S.P.T.O. Board of Directors, Papali’i Sonja Hunter welcomed participants and regional tourism representatives and thanked the European Union for their financial support, which allowed for this workshop to happen. “Which actually brings together all of us because we are all stakeholders of South Pacific tourism,” she said.

“They are bringing us together so that you may be consulted on how we would like to drive our regional tourism.

“And how we are able to put our heads together knowing full well that tourism is the mainstay of the economies in the Pacific region. “It generates employment opportunities, it provides opportunities for the communities.” She said it was wonderful to see over the last 20 to 30 years that tourism was the main economic activity.

“That also makes great importance on how we should sustain our environment and promote and sustain our wonderful cultures,” she said.

“Because these are the main components that differentiates us from all the other Pacific Islands, and also regions of the world.”

Papali’i said tourism is very important to our region and that the Pacific Island Forum Leaders were also driving programs to ensure that countries do receive support in this area.

“Tourism actually brings in around 1.7 million tourists to our region as well as provides earnings of about US$2.5 billion in American dollars,” she said. “So there is a lot of potential for us as well.

“I welcome you all here this morning, I give you God’s blessings. “Let’s make use of this wonderful opportunity so that we can ensure that we are very much part and parcel of the regional tourism strategy.”

According to the Draft P.R.T.S., authored by tourism specialist Ross Hopkins from T.R.I.P. Consultants, implementation will underpin a regional approach to tourism sector development.

“Supporting a regional approach is vital in the Pacific and will have particular benefit for a region which has few sustainable economic sectors, which can support future growth at the level that tourism can achieve,” reads the draft report.

“And where the small scale of the island economies cast distances between nations can substantially hinder national development.”

The draft report states that by working together the Pacific islands can achieve the common vision of ‘sustainable economic growth and empowering the Pacific people’.

“Working together at a regional level, countries can learn from each other and share valuable resources to be globally competitive,” it says.

“The benefits are enormous for the region, but adopting a regional approach outlined in this Plan requires considerable commitment, coordination and resourcing.”

The 18 countries included in the draft plan are American Samoa, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

O le aso ananafi lea na amata iloilo ai i luma o le Fa’amasinoga Fa’aitumalo le mataupu o lo’o molia ai le Sui Palemia Fonotoe Nuafesili Pierre Lauofo ma le Minisita Lagolago Muagututagata Peter Ah Him.

O le aso ananafi lea na amata iloilo ai i luma o le Fa’amasinoga Fa’aitumalo le mataupu o lo’o molia ai le Sui Palemia Fonotoe Nuafesili Pierre Lauofo ma le Minisita Lagolago Muagututagata Peter Ah Him.

O lo’o tetee ia sui o le palemene i moliaga e fa’asaga ia la’ua e mafua mai i se fa’alavelave lea na tula’i i le po o le aso 4 Oketopa 2013.

E tasi le moliaga o le tau fa’aoso’oso e fa’atino se solitulafono fa’asaga i le Sui Palemia, ae lua moliaga fa’asaga ia Muagututagata o le fa’alavelave i tiute a leoleo ma le liliu fa’asolitulafono o lana ta’avale i luma o le NPF Plaza.

O lenei mataupu o lo’o fofoga i luma o le Afioga i le Fa’amasino, Vaepule Alo Vaemoa Vaai.

O le tama’ita’i Loia o Rexona Titi ma Brigitta Lo Tam Fa’afiti mai i le Ofisa a le Loia Sili o lo’o tulai mo le itu a leoleo, ae o le alii loia o Patrick Fepulea’i o lo’o tula’i mo le Minisita Lagolago ia Muagututagata o Donald Kerslake o lo’o tulai mo Fonotoe.

O le molimau muamua o lenei mataupu o le alii leoleo o Toa Tafunai o ia lea sa tapueina ata o le nofoaga lea na tula’i mai ai le fa’alavelave. O le lona lua o molimau o le alii Leoleo sinia o Leuluaialii Ma’anaima Patu, Moataa , Vaiala ma Sapunaoa Falealili.

Ua 12 tausaga o lana auaunaga i le Matagaluega o Leoleo, ma o lo’o galue nei i le vaega o Ta’avale Afi. Na ia fa’aalia i lana molimau o le po o le aso 4 Oketopa 2013 sa fa’atino ai poloka a leoleo i e o loo feoai faasolitulafono i luga o le auala tele ae le gata i lea o latou o lo’o faapea ona tagofia le ava malosi ma feoai i ta’avale.

O le poloka sa i Vaimoso sa tiute ai ae o le louloua o le tau na mafua ai ona fa’auma le poloka ae toe foi i le Ofisa autu i Apia ona ua le saogalemu mo le fa’atinoina o tiute i lea afiafi. Ina ua taunu’u i le Ofisa sa toe tofia ai o ia ma nisi o leoleo e to’afa e fa’aauauina le petolo i lea po i le talafatai o Apia.

O latou ia sa tiute , o le alii Taai lua o Mose Lotomau sa ta’ita’ia le latou petolo, le alii leoleo o Tevita Vii, Michael Vala, o Ioapo Isitolo ma Ma’anaima. Na fa’atonuina latou e le alii Ta’ita’i, o le Leoleo Asiasi o Keti Toleafoa e fa’ataunuuina le le tiute i lea po.

Sa ia ta’ua o le latalata i le 10 i le po na fa’atino ai le latou petolo i le auala autu a le malo e amata mai Vasigano, seia paia le fa’ata’amilosaga i le Tanoa Tusitala. Na muamua lava agai le latou ta’avale i Mulinuu, toe ta’amilo atu ai ma toe liliu agai i le Uati.

Ina ua pasi laititi ia moli fa’asinoala lea e i luma o le Asco Motors po’o luma o le flea maketi i Savalalo.

“ Na ou vaaia ai loa se ta’avale ua agai mai i luma o le NPF Plaza, ituaiga o le Toyota Hilux NUMERA .MCIL-07 o lo’o agai mai i itu lea e iai le RSA fa’asaga mai i Sogi” o Ma’anaima lea.

Na sau lea ta’avale ma liliu tonu i luma o le NPF Plaza ma toe fa’asaga le afi agai i le Uati. Sa fa’atuina le ta’avale ma fa’atinoina ia siaki masani a leoleo, pe tusa lea o le 10:30.

Na fa’aee atu ai le pu a le latou ta’avale ina ia afe i tua le ta’avale ma le auala. Sa tu tonu le taavale i le Faletupe o Atinae, sa agai loa iai alii leoleo e to’alua mo le faia o siaki.

O laua nei o Ioapo Isitolo ma Tevita Vii sa fa’atinoina le siaki o le ave taavale. Na ia molimauina sa fesili i le laisene o le ave ta’avale ma faia foi lana masini lea e siaki ai le manava a tagata pe sa tagofia le ava malosi.

O lenei ta’avale lenei sa tu i luma o le pikiapu a leoleo. Na fa’amaonia e le molimau na te lei lagonaina ia tala a leoleo ma Muagututagata na faia ae nao gaioiga sa fa’atino.

Sa ia iloa atu ia Ioapo o taumafai e faia lana masini. Na ioeina e Ma’anaima sa ia iloa lelei lava le alii Sui Minisita Lagolago ia Muagututagata Peter Ah Him i le taimi na fa’atu ai e leoleo lana ta’avale ma faia lana siaki.

E fa’alua lava ona faia masini a Muagutu e lei lelei ona feulaina. Ao feulaina le masini a Muagututagata o le taimi lea na ia vaaia ai le ta’avale Toyota Hilux lanu moana SSS-OI ua pasi laititi mai patupatu o lo’o luma o le RSA.

“ Na pasia le matou ta’avale ma ou iloa ai o le Afioga i le Sui Palemia o lo’o fa’afoeina mai le ta’avale lea”. o le molimau lea.

“ E lei umi se taimi ae toe liliu atu le taavale lea ma fa’atafa i autafa tonu o le ta’avale lea e faia ai galuega a leoleo, na tu le taavale a le Sui Palemia, na ou iloa lava le mea e tupu” o Ma’anaima lea.

“ Na ou oso i fafo ma le matou ta’avale ae ou agai sao atu i le mea lea e tu mai ai le ta’avale a le Sui Palemia”. o se isi lea o ana molimau.

E fetaui lona taunuu atu ae fai mai loa ia Fonotoe i alii leoleo ia e faia le sailia o Muagututagata, po’o le a le latou mea o fai. O le taimi lea ua le toe faia se galuega, ua tutu uma ia tama ae fa’asasaga mai i le ta’avale a Fonotoe.

“ Sa ou tali atu iai e malie lau Afioga o lo’o fa’tino le galuega a leoleo o lo’o saili le tino a le aveta’avale pe sa tagofia se ava malosi”.

O le taimi lea na sauoa mai ai Fonotoe, e o muamua i le fale kalapu a le Leon i luga o le NPF Plaza e aumai ia le Afioga i le Sui Komesina sa latou inu fa’atasi ai o Talaiamanu Keti. Na fesiligia e Rexona ia le molimau pe na te manatua ia upu a le Sui Palemia na fai atu ia latou.

Na tali Ma’anaima , o lea lava. “ Afai o le amiokogu ga kou ke sa’ilia oga kou agai lea i luga o le NPF Plaza i le pa a le Liona e aumai le Sui Komesina o Talaimanu Keti lea sa matou inu fa’atasi ai e aumai e molia” o upu ia a le Sui Palemia na fai atu ia latou. Na tali atu iai e fa’apea“

Sa ou tali atu iai e malie e le’o sau se Talaimanu i sana ta’avale o le e inu i luga o le pa” . O le taimi lea na toe fa’asaga mai Fonotoe ma saunoa mai e tuu loa le matou mea la e fai.

“ Sa valaau mai ia matou, tuu loa le matou mea la e fai, ma valaau mai ia Muagutu e alu lana ta’avale.” o le molimau lea.

E fa’atolu lava ona valaau ia Fonotoe ia Muagututagata e alu lana ta’avale, ma alu ese loa ma le taavale a Muagutu ae folo atu ai Fonotoe. Na fesiligia e Rexona le molimau poo le a sana vaai i foliga o le Sui Palemia i le taimi na fai atu ai ai ana tala ia latou.

“ Na ou maitauina ia foliga ita ma foliga le fiafia o Fonotoe e ala i ona foliga vaai”.o le tali lea a le molimau.

Ina ua tulai ia le alii Loia o Patrick ma fesiligia le molimau a Ma’anaima pe sao na te leiloa atu le taimi na fa’atino ai e Ioapo i le fa’atinoina o le siaki a Muagututagata. Ae sa tali le alii leoleo sinia, sa ia iloa lelei atu lava.

Ina ua tulai le alii Loia a Fonotoe le susuga ia Donald Kerslake ma fesiligia le molimau , o lea sa ia taua i lana fa’amatalaga i le taimi na fa’atinoina ai le sailiga o Muagututagata sa ia iloa lelei lava. Na tali ia le alii leoleo o lea lava.

“ A fa’apea e te nofo i totonu o le tou taavale i le pito i luma i le itu taumatau o lo’o fa’atino ai le galuega e fa’afefea ona e iloa atu ia le galuega a Ioapo la e fai, e fa’afefea la pe a ou fai atu e te leiloa mai?.

Na tali le alii leoleo, o le afa o le ta’avale a Muagututagata le a tu ai le latou ta’avale o loo kilia lelei lana vaai i le mea o lo’o fa’atinoina e tusa foi pe tu i tua o lo’o kilia lelei lana vaai. Na saunoa foi ia le alii leoleo o lo’o ola moli o le auala i lea taimi.

Na tulituliloa pea e le alii Loia le molimau e sao na te leiloa galuega a Ioapo ma le isi leoleo sa faia. Na mautu lava le tali a Ma’anaima sa manino lelei lana vaai. Na fesiligia foi e le Loia le molimau o lea sa fa’alogo o fai le fesili a Fonotoe poo a latou mea sa fai. O lana molimau foi o ia lea sa tali ia Fonotoe, ae sao na te le lagona le fesili a Fonotoe?

O le fesili lea a le loia. Na tali Ma’anaima sa ia lagona lelei lava, ona e fetaui lona taunuu atu i le vaega sa tu ai le ta’avale, ae fesili loa ia Fonotoe i leoleo. Na toe fesiligia foi e le Loia le molimau e sao o Ioapo sa tali ia Fonotoe ae le’o ia.

Na tali ia le alii leoleo, o ia sa tali ia Fonotoe, afai sa tali foi ia Ioapo sa tali foi o ia. Na fesiligia foi e le loia ia le molimau a Ma’anaima, e sao o le fa’amatalaga a Ioapo o ia sa tali. Sa tali le alii leoleo, “ o le fa’amatalag a a’u lea e te fesili mai ai, ae le’o se fa’amatalaga a Ioapo, ta’atia la le fa’amatalaga a Ioapo ae o la’u fa’amatalaga moni lea” o le alii leoleo lea.

Na toe fesili le Loia e sao pe a fai atu ia te ia, na tu loa le ta’avale a Fonotoe fai loa lana fesili, ae na te lei lagonaina. Na tali le alii leoleo, e fetuai lava lona tu i autafa o le ta’avale ae fesili loa ia Fonotoe, o ia lava sa tali iai.

Na fesiligia foi e le loia le molimau pe aisea na ia taua ai sa faia le fa’amatalaga a Fonotoe afai o le amiotonu ona o lea e saili muamua ia le Sui Komesina.

Na tali le alii Leoleo, i lona manatu fa’apea ,e tau mai loa le Sui Komesina ona taofi loa lea o latou galuega. “ Ae le sao pe a ou fai atu ia te oe ua alai ona fai le fa’amatalaga Fonotoe ona o au tala sa faia i lea po?.

O le loia lea “ E sese” o le tali lea a le alii leoleo. Na toe fesili le Loia e fa’apea “ Ae le sao ua fai ia tala a Fonotoe ona ua e savali solo ma fai au tala leotele, e fai le amiokogu, fai le amiokogu. E matua sese a ga tala.” O le leoleo lea. Sa ia fa’aalia na mafua ona faia lana tala ia Fonotoe, ona ua fai mai e o muamua e molia muamua mai le latou Sui Komesina. O lo’o fa’aauau pea molimau.

A prison inmate who has been at Tafaigata since the age of 16 yesterday received an additional four and a half years to his already existing prison term, for stabbing a man at a house he was burgling.

Peika Pesa was sentenced and convicted yesterday on three counts of theft and burglary, one count of being in possession of a dangerous weapon and actual bodily harm.

The decision was delivered yesterday by His Honour Chief Justice Patu Tiavaesu’e Falefatu Sapolu in the Supreme Court. His prison term is to be served consecutively with that of his already existing prison terms.

The Police summary of facts stated that on 5 November 2013 Pesa was escorted by Police to the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital (TTMH). He told prison wardens that he was feeling sick. That same day he escaped to the house of a family at Leufisa. Pesa tore the wire screen on the windows of the family house and stole $50, 2 mobile phones worth $150 each and other properties.

These stolen items were valued at $2,445. Two days later, on 7 November, he broke into the house of another family at Lalovaea, the court heard. This theft was at 3am in the morning while the couple who owned the property were asleep in their room upstairs.

The woman suddenly woke and saw someone standing at the door but thought it was her son.

She called out and only then realised it was a thief. Alerting her husband, he chased after Pesa who made for the door leading out of the house.

The woman’s husband caught him climbing the fence and assaulted Pesa. But Pesa reached into his pocket for a small knife and stabbed him. The stab wounded the man causing him to head back to the house, the court heard.

On 9 November, he broke into another family’s house at Vailima and stole property from there. Reviewing the criminal history of the accused, Chief Justice Patu said he is used to committing these offences. It seems that he is frequently breaking into houses and stealing property.

He is a person who is not new to the court and to prison. He was first imprisoned at the age of 16, back in 1996.

The Chief Justice pointed out Pesa’s previous convictions; 23 for burglary, 23 for theft, 3 of breaking and entry, one of attempted burglary, seven of escaping from prison and other offences involving illegal drugs.

The crimes he has committed indicate the kind of dishonest person he is. Chief Justice Patu said the offences carried out by the accused are very serious considering the impact it has had on those affected.

Especially serious is the offence he committed against the family at Lalovaea where he used a small knife causing injury to the husband.

He said there were no mitigating factors on his part but for his guilty plea.

The court would be delivering a heavy penalty against him for the seriousness of his crimes, said the Chief Justice.

Memoranda of Understanding have been signed for three major infrastructure projects in Samoa, including developing the Faleolo International Airport.

The government has signed an M.O.U. with Shanghai Construction for work on a wharf at Vaiusu Bay and a government building in Savalalo.

And an M.O.U. has been signed with China First Railway Company to undertake studies and provide concept design for extensions of Faleolo Airport.

The Minister of Works, Manu'alesagalala Enokati Posala, says he hopes the proposed projects can be covered under the USD$2 billion development grant offered by the Chinese government to eight Pacific Island countries. "

We are trying to promote all over in the Pacific Island countries to promote tourism destinations and we need better terminals with aero-bridges,” he said.

“We want here to become a hub of the Pacific, so that's what we are aiming for in order to develop our ports is to put in place new ports, better than that we have now, so that we can achieve what we want."

Manu'alesagalala Enokati Posala says the government hopes to find out whether the proposals have been approved under the China development grant later this year.

Returnee Tofilau George knows what the tough life is like – and is worried about youths involved in recent outbreaks of violence.

A former inmate overseas, Tofilau pointed at Samoa College students and said that “what we experienced and went through in life is not what you, you and you should end up with.”

He was speaking at the college as part of a programme called ‘Act right, do right’ run by the Samoa Returnees Charitable Trust. Tofilau encouraged student to be aware of the consequences of violence on their lives and on the lives of people surrounding them.

“I believe all of our parents want us to get a good education and to be happy when we grow older,” he said.

“There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, stay focused on your education and away from trouble.”

Year 10 student John Lauano said the programme helped them learn about respect, obeying their parents and staying away from trouble.

“I loved listening to what George said about being aware of your mistakes, learning from it and being honest to yourself.

“It gave me a lot of courage and strength on the inside listening to him speak and I hope to make good choices and decisions while I am still young.”

This initiative is a continuation of the Trust’s programme which was launched last year in November. Yesterday’s visit to Samoa College was the second phase of their outreach programme.

Senior Returnees Officer Vernon J. Mackenzie stated that the S.R.C.T. is now in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture to deliver their message to schools in both Upolu and Savai'i.

“The main objective of the campaign is on the “Act right and do right” message, focusing on consequences from brawls which our nation has seen taken place after interschool sports competitions and more recently, during publicized confrontations at the market and bus depot involving students.”

Tofilau was one of two veteran members; the other being Siva Afi Papali’itele Taogaga, who also shared his life experiences through testimonies to help discourage public brawls and encourage the students to make good choices and mainly to focus on their studies.

“The returnees are people who were in prison before and they just want to share about their not so good experiences in order to help our communities think more seriously about what is best for their lives.” Mr. Mackenzie said.

“Coming into the schools and doing this campaign is a great way to let the youngsters in Samoa know that the decision you make today will continue on for the rest of your life until you learn from your early mistakes.”

“These members who were in prisons before, I am glad to say, most of them are now born again Christians.”

He said that the returnees want to let children know that there is absolutely nothing they can get from violent acts at a very young age. Mr. Mackenzie said that bringing light to the lives of the children will help them lots in their journey through life.

Rev. Falevi Petana said that the programme has also incorporated a spiritual aspect in it - that being the message of the holy spirit whom helps children hear and take these messages delivered by the returness seriously.

So far, the Trust has offered its services to the elderly residents at Mapuifagalele, cleaning the compound and refurbishing the buildings; and helped clean up the respite home complex for the Goshen Trust Mental Health Services at Moamoa.

The Trust’s volunteer work crew also started the New Year by carrying out some much needed landscaping at one of the Samoa Victim Support Group shelters at Moto’otua.

General Manager of Samoa Land Corporation, Afoa Arasi Tiotio, says there is no new deadline being given to residents of Sogi to move inland.

She was speaking about a meeting held last Friday with residents.

The meeting was “all about making them understand some of the important issues of why the government wants them to move.”

“Especially to families who are still living at Sogi.”

Afoa confirmed that they have not issued any deadline to those at Sogi. She said government would continue to allow time for the families to move from the area, a major tourism and administrative location.

“Whenever they agree to move, the land is always there waiting for them.”

Her comments contrast with complaints from residents in the past, saying they felt pressured to move quickly.

“We are explaining it slowly to those who still residing at Sogi and they are, slowly, moving to Falelauniu,” she said. Sogi residents confirm a much softer approach to getting families to move from the area to Falelauniu.

An elder of Sogi residents, Lauano Iona, said that his family agreed with what the government said about moving them to the Falelauniu subdivision.

“Our family have nearly all relocated to Falelauniu but we are still here for our own reasons.

“If the government forces us then,” he shrugs, “we will leave as soon as possible.

“Myself and my four children now live at Falelauniu and to my own understanding the Land Corporation is still discussing the issue with families that still don’t want to move.”

Mr. Iona said he understood both sides of the discussions - why some families did not want to move, and why government insists they do.

“They are right in some ways that this land is where they and we all grew up on but what they must look at now are the impacts of the change in climate.”

“As you can see now, the whole area is covered with mud and water during the rainy season, which is not a good environment to live in.”

He said he was only back at Sogi for the meeting between the corporation and residents.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa has long been adamant that relocation is in the best interests of the people of Sogi.

Speaking about the issue during a Parliament session three years ago, Tuilaepa said the standard of living for residents of Sogi will improve if they relocate.

“There is not enough land to grow crops for families to rely on,” Tuilaepa said at the time.

“The only importance of land located inside town (like Sogi) is that it is convenient for transport.”

More than 10 acres have been allocated to the 33 Sogi families to shift to, each getting a quarter acre to buy, Tuilaepa said at the time.

“This will benefit them,” said the Prime Minister.

“There is now bigger land to grow food in.”

More recently, families have reported getting $3,000 compensation for relocation, but having to pay $30,000 for quarter acre plots of land.

Despite giving warnings to Sogi residents about climate change and sea level rise, government continues to approve its own buildings along the low lying Mulinu'u peninsula, including plans for refurbishment of Parliament.

Adventist Disaster Relief Agency (ADRA) Samoa is a community group working together with the Disaster Management Office division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) to help people protect themselves from natural disasters.

“The Community Disaster and Climate Risk Management Program (CDCRM) is the programme that was put together with financial assistance from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) here in Samoa,” said Assistant Chief Executive Officer of Disaster Management Office Filomena Nelson.

“The whole idea of this is to standardise the consistency of approaches and manage tools that various organisations with an interest in disaster management have in communities and so the government decided to put through this programme.

“In addition to that, because we do not have sufficient numbers of human resources and assistance for this programme, the Red Cross here in Samoa was appointed as first community agency to deliver the programme in different villages.

“I also found out that as A.D.R.A. have the same interest in the programme we have welcomed them on board as well to join in on the programme.

“It is our hope that the programme will start going out soon, as we’ve all seen and witnessed a lot of things that have occurred around the globe, most recently our neighbors Tonga.

“So I would like to encourage the project manager and also the staff with this. I know the Project manager has worked in the ministry and he’s got a lot of experience in dealing with communities.

“I know it’s going to be a challenge to try and get schedules for the villages and to try and get everyone to participate in the programme.

“It is an all hazards programme focusing on all types of risks hazards and it requires among special things to make sure that everyone knows what to do. Programme Director at A.D.R.A. Germany Mike Perekrestenko clarifies their partnering with ADRA Samoa.

“Our partnership with A.D.R.A. Samoa is actually very young, because the South Pacific is very far away from Germany, it has not been a focus for us so far.

“However we saw opportunities and we saw needs especially in disaster response, disaster risk reduction on these areas, so about three years ago we decided as A.D.R.A. Germany to put focus on the South Pacific.

“Our focus, in the mean time is on three island countries. We are focusing on Samoa, Papua New Guinea and Fiji - basically Cyclone Evan was the start of it.

“We responded to Evan and this is why I am here today, and this week will also be used to discuss further involvements, new projects and continuation of assistance.”

Asked if the assistance for A.D.R.A. Samoa was financial or technical, Mr. Perekrestenko stated, “It can be a bit of both, yes we have some technical knowledge in our emphasis, but the main emphasis is, of course in fundraising for projects.”

What do you think of A.D.R.A. in Samoa?

“Principally as Su’a mentioned in her introduction, A.D.R.A. is a worldwide agency and our focus is more or less - and I think this was mentioned, but I would like to highlight again. A.D.R.A. works with people in poverty and distress to create just and positive change through empowering partnerships and responsible actions. We work to empower the communities.

“It’s not so much delivery, this is necessary after disasters happen but our main emphasis is the empowerment of the communities - to make the resilient develop themselves and to become self reliant.”

Why is it only Samoa, P.N.G and Fiji that you are providing assistance to but not other Pacific nations?

“It’s not limited to these three but they are our main focus.

“It’s a question of capacity as well, and apart from that, we work in a network. We have A.D.R.A. Australia and A.D.R.A. New Zealand as well.

“No, we work in co-operation with all the A.D.R.A.’s here in the South Pacific and make sure that we distribute our efforts in a fair way.

Over the long term, he said that they would spread throughout the South Pacific in the areas of disaster response as this is something ADRA Germany has always been strong at “it’s a tradition, but we also would like to put up strong emphasis on disasterrescue action and awareness, everything that’s connected with this issue.“

“This is also something we’ll be discussing with A.D.R.A. Samoa this week is, what issues there are apart from disaster and disaster risk in development, and how we can assist that as well.”

A.D.R.A. Samoa Su’a Julia Wallwork said that “A.D.R.A. Samoa is working together with the Disaster Management Office to deliver the programme to the villages in Apia on how and what needs to be done in times of disasters.

“We have been appointed to go out to the villages of Moata’a, Magiagi, Fagali’i and around the town area to deliver the programme.”