Tutuvatu Forum

Anna · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 93

Now the managing director of Antech is talking...

ANTECH Computers says it is not answerable to the Parliamentary Opposition or the media. The company’s managing director Anthony Ghona was responding to queries from the Solomon Star Monday about the controversial school computer project.

“I am not going to respond to unnecessary accusations from the Opposition in the media,” Mr Ghona said. We are answerable to the Ministry of Education, not the Opposition."

“If the Opposition wants information on the project, it should talk to the ministry’s project coordinator,” Mr Ghona said. Mr Ghona’s company was controversially given the contract to supply computers to secondary school with forms six and seven.

The $4.9 million computer project was funded by Taiwan.

Antech’s general manager Lapule Haro earlier claimed in the media that the company had been supplying the schools with the computers since early this year.

But a check with the schools in Honiara showed none of them was given a single computer. Records showed only Su’u Secondary School, in Malaita, received a laptop.

Under the project, the schools should have their computer labs set up during the first semester in 2008.
Meanwhile, a Government source said the Taiwanese ambassador has written to Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua expressing his concern about the matter.

"The ambassador wrote to express his concern over the alleged mishandling of the project," the source said. He said that the prime minister Dr Sikua assured the ambassador that he will be briefed by those involved in the project sometimes next week.

Chairman of the Office of the Leadership Code Commission Emmanuel Kouhota said they’ve received a formal complaint from the Opposition. But he said that did not meet the requirements for the office to launch an investigation.

"We’ve asked the Opposition to provide us with detailed information," Mr Kouhota said.

By EDNAL PALMER

How arrogant
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God loves us all

palabolo · Joined: 07 Nov 2007 Posts: 13

Sogavare is merely exercising his role as the watchdog of the government and the ball is rolling on the government side to reveal the truth. I think it is the attack made by Soga on the company that is unfair and uncalled for. Otherwise, Soga is questioning the government over a genuine issue.
It is proper that the Antech company has directed the media to ME & HR to acquire the facts about the project. I find it quite annoying that the reporter of Solomon Star could not even contact the ministry to get their side of the story as they are responsible for coordinating the project. Solomon Star is clearly bias and is not displaying professionalism in its reporting.
I believe the longer the government is withholding the truth about this project, the more it will be difficult for the people to trust the Sikua led government.

palabolo