MALAITA PREMIER CONCERNED OVER MALA-RENBEL RELATIONS

Malaita Provincial Premier, Hon. Peter Chanel Ramohia has raised concerns that relations between Malaita and Rennell/Bellona could be affected by the logging issue in Renbel province.

Premier Ramohia raised the concern after reports alleged that men from Malaita have been recruited as security officers by a Samlinsan Logging Company on Rennell island.

He says the two provinces have had some negative past, but they have since maintained a cordial relationship.

However, Mr. Ramohia says this relationship could be affected if there is a confrontation between his people and those on Rennell island.

“I am making a call on behalf of the Malaita Provincial Government to the boys from Malaita who are involved in the security to make sure and refrain from engaging in anything that will create a problem or a bad name for our province or put our people in an indirect situation down there.”

The Premier calls on the logging company to refrain from using Malaitans to advance its interests.

“It is not good for you to hire only people from Malaita. The people who go there do not really know the situation on the ground. When you advise them to do this and anyone who does this you do this and this without knowing the actual reality on the ground is very dangerous. And to use people from Malaita to engage in this is not very good. So I call on the company too that it must recognize this and if it thinks it can do something about this, might as well hire people from other provinces.”