BY BARNABAS MANEBONA
HONIARA City Council (HCC) is appreciated for its continuous service despite many hiccups, especially the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the recent riot experienced last year.
Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Hon Manasseh Maelanga speaking at HCC Lord Mayor Councillor Eddie Siapu’s dinner celebration to mark the Solomon Islands 44th Independence Anniversary last week passed on appreciation on behalf of the Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA).
Speaking at the Museum Auditorium, Mr Maelanga expressed that it has not been easy for HCC, but thanks them for their continuous positive ‘working together’ with the national government ministries to look after the nation’s capital city.
“Mayor, and your Council, we have come a long way during this year and last year, and I would like to say thank you on behalf of the DCGA Government for the ‘working closely’ that we have together,” said Maelanga.
“We have come together reaching this year witnessing us celebrating Independence Day.
“So I want to thank the Mayor, your councillors and HCC Staff for the continuous working together to look after our City in Honiara.
“As we know that we have been going through a bit of tough times this year and last year especially when we talk about Covid-19 and the recent riot. It is not easy for the HCC.
“Thank you, Mayor and your Council, for the continuous work done despite facing these situations, but you have continued to maintain and look after our welfare in Honiara City.
“Let us continue to work. Even despite all these things, and the challenges that we go through, let us continue to work together with the government.
“It is time we think of ourselves that Honiara city is our city, this is our place, where we come together, live together and share together. It is time that we have peace within us. We must have love within us, we must have unity within us, and that is the ‘Theme’ I want to share a little on. We have all come together with different backgrounds, diversity, and different cultures, but we have to have one common understanding which is unity that we are one as Solomon Islanders.
“This is what we should always have within our hearts. I want to tell our good people in Honiara that we must always have that in mind. That we are one. We are one Solomon Islanders.”
The DPM went on to remind that recent political hatred is the work of some of the country’s very own leaders as well as causing disunity, which should not be the case.
“Be frank and be true, it is some of our own leaders who do not understand this. Some of our own leaders are the ones brainwashing our people on this. It is not the village people but people that have good knowledge, brainy people, well-educated people, and that is why I want to say this.
“Sometimes we know these things are right but we turn them into wrong. That is why sometimes when the National Anthem is heard, I personally get emotional. Because I am someone who always thinks that we are one. We are one Solomon Islanders.
“And we should be united together when we live in our city. So this is one thing I would like to share with the country that we must always have in mind when living in our city. That we are one, we unite together as one Solomon Islanders.
“I hope and pray that we will continue to be united as one Solomon Islands people. Preach this out to our people so that we will continue to live as one,” said Maelanga.
