Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, officially closed the second Annual Parliamentary College Programme organised by the Office of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly (O.C.L.A) yesterday.
The two-day programme culminated with an English speech competition won by Ariel Fanaafi Ioane, of Le Amosa High School.
Joseph Lauano, of Samoa College came second followed by Ofeira Talaave, of Samoa Adventist College and Faaui Laban, of Safata College.
Addressing the future leaders of Samoa, Tuilaepa said it was vital for them to understand the functions of Parliament. He reminded that Parliament exists to create laws for the development of the country and people.
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About the speech competition, Tuilaepa said it’s not about how smart you are but rather how well you deliver the message and that the audience understands what you are talking about.
“That is of course the golden rule of any speech,” he said.
Tuilaepa, however, had one gripe. He said the competition should have been in Samoa since that is the official language in Parliament.
For the Speaker of Parliament, La’auli Leautea Polata’ivao, “everything is a lesson.
“Speaking the Samoan language is your passport to this ‘Maota’,” he said. And eventhough the speech contest was in English, La’auli congratulated everyone involved.
The winner, Ariel Fanaafi Ioane, spoke about “Parliament and its oversight role.”
“This competition has helped me a lot to build my confidence and learn more about my Parliament,” said Ms. Ioane. “The competition was not easy but I am thankful to God that I have made it this far.”
The College Parliamentary programme was designed so that students will have a basic understanding of:
• The inherent and varied functions of Parliament and its composition
• Parliamentary practice, procedures and processes;
• The Offices and Officers of the Legislative Assembly; and
• The support and services required to meet the deliverables and expectations of Parliament.
During the programme, participants observed Parliament’s sitting, met prominent leaders of Parliament, toured the Offices of Parliament, and learnt about Parliamentary practices, procedures and processes through various presentations.
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