Wale calls for sacking of PS Viulu

By Opposition office/Alfred Pagepitu

The Leader of Opposition Hon Matthew Wale has called for the sacking of the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) Dr Samson Viulu.

Hon Wale made the call following documents that showed that Dr Viulu has continued to give directives under the Chinese Embassy’s Rural Sustainable Development Programme (RSDP) to the officers administered within the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD).

Documents showed that on October 4th 2024, Dr Viulu used the RSDP letterhead to write a transfer memo for 200 drums of fuel purchased for Temotu Nende Constituency in 2023 to be transferred to Renbel Constituency in October 2024.

This was done long after Dr Viulu was moved out from the MRD.

Hon Wale has questioned why the RSDP letterhead is still used by someone no longer an officer employed under MRD.

The opposition office is aware that this is just one of many letters Dr Viulu wrote under the RSDP since he moved to MAL.

“Dr Viulu is the PS of MAL and not MRD so why is he still writing transfer memos under the RSDP and why are officers of MRD still taking directions from him. Is the RSDP his personal account and monies? There is clearly wrong doing on Dr Viulu’s part, but also on the part of the MRD officers that are enabling his illegal unethical behaviour,” Hon Wale said.

Hon Wale said the RSDP is administered by MRD and not MAL and something fishy is going on.

He has also questioned why signatories of the RSDP account have not changed from the previous management to the current one.

“Dr. Viulu also confirmed to MPs that he only takes instructions from the Minister for Police Hon. Jimson Tanangada, which is totally wrong,” he said.

“In this matter, it is clear the Prime Minister knows everything that is going on with RSDP, and he is allowing it to continue,” Hon Wale adds.

He said the Prime Minister is too weak and indecisive and cannot take tough decisions and this is a real problem for governance for Solomon Islands. 

Hon Wale said the PRC’s RSDP programme is being run by a mafia operation that treats the funds as private property and they refuse transparency and accountability to parliament and the public. 

The Opposition Leader said it is surprising that both the government and Chinese embassy have remained silent with the RSDP.

“Why the silence? What are they hiding?” Hon Wale questioned.

Hon Wale adds it seems the Minister of MRD himself is not aware of the situation or maybe he is ignorant of the crooked practices happening within his ministry. 

“This should not be the situation, and it is tragic and negligent,” Hon Wale said.

Hon Wale said the RSDP must be brought under the budget and have the Public Finance Management Act applied to it. 

Hon Wale calls on the Chinese Embassy to insist on it. 

“The current RSDP set up outside the budget has proven to be a hotbed for corruption and other unethical practices that are not good for the governance of Solomon Islands,” the Opposition Leader said.

In response to the Opposition leader’s call, Dr Viulu clarified that he was responsible for overseeing the RSDP during his tenure as Permanent Secretary of MRD.

He admitted giving directives to transfer the 200 drums of fuel purchased for Temotu Nende Constituency in 2023 to the Renbel Constituency based on an understanding with the government to finish the last phase of the RSDP.

He explained it is important to note that the RSDP was initiated under a previous administration. 

The drums were allocated to Renbel because the constituency had previously missed out on benefits from the program.

The project has received $4 million aimed at supporting the purchase of materials for various constituencies, including Temotu. 

“Our team believes that by reallocating resources, we can ensure that all constituencies benefit fairly.”

“I want to emphasize that my focus remains on completing the remaining projects under the RSDP. ”

“I have signed an exchange of notes with the Chinese government for project materials, which I am committed to delivering.”

“I find it necessary to clarify that I am simply ensuring the smooth implementation of the RSDP, and I have no ulterior motives in reallocating resources.”

“My goal is to fulfill the responsibilities that were assigned to me.I remain dedicated to my role and will continue to work towards the successful completion of the RSDP,” Dr Viulu concluded.

 ENDS//