PM Receives Chief Title In Makira

PM receives chief title in Makira

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has been awarded two separate paramount chiefly titles in the Makira/Ulawa Provincial capital, Kirakira last Friday where he was the guest of honour at the 24th anniversary of the province’s Second Appointed Day.

The highest chiefly titles were conferred on Mr Sogavare by the chiefs of Makira Island and the chiefs of the province’s outer islands of Ulawa and Ugi.

The chiefs of Ulawa and Ugi islands presented shell money to Mr Sogavare when welcoming him as one of their paramount chiefs whilst the Makira island chiefs gave the Prime Minister a live pig, shell money, local crops and a bowl of the famous Makira six months pudding.

The chiefs said the highest chiefly titles were given to the Prime Minister in acknowledgement and support of his firm stand in protecting Solomon Islands sovereignty and his government’s Bottom-Up Approach Development Policy.

An emotional Sogavare thanked the chiefs for their recognition of his Grand Coalition for Change Government.

He said he was deeply moved by the chiefly titles conferred on him and the associated gifts of food because he knew they were given to him from the heart.

The Prime Minister thanked the chiefs for continuing to provide leadership at the tribal level.

Mr Sogavare said the exercise of leadership at this level was crucial to the orderly management of communal existence and tolerance.

He apologized for the past government’s failure to pursue constitutional empowerment of chiefs.

Mr Sogavare said the traditional chiefly system had existed long before the introduced Westminster system of government the country had adopted from Britain and he assured that his Grand Coalition for Change Government would work together with the chiefs to ensure their role was recognised.

He said it was sad that it took a crisis for the government to realise the power and influence that chiefs have in the community and hence acknowledged the Makira/Ulawa province’s recognition of chiefs in its ordinances.

He said the Attorney General and the provinces legal representative would be working on the legality of that recognition.

Mr Sogavare said the recognition of the role chiefs and village elders at the village level of governance was an important feature of the proposed state government system which the Grand Coalition for Change Government was fully committed to implement during its term in office.

Meanwhile the Prime Minister presented a double cabin hilux to the Makira/Ulawa Provincial government.

ENDS

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