LOPAO’O QUESTIONS OLO’S UNDERSTANDING OF CABINET PROCEDURES
By: Joshua Lafoa’i
The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Lopao’o Natanielu Mua has rubbished claims made by FAST Party member, Olo Fiti Va’ai regarding a fishing vessel that docked in Samoa over a week ago.
Olo’s purported claims that the fishing boat while on three months fishing picked up two Chinese fishermen who were on vacation in China.
Lopao’o said the remarks are all ‘rubbish.’
“Olo has always been like this. For so many years as a Member of Parliament, Olo continues to spurt rubbish as fact without even understanding the issues,” he said.
“The Chinese that were on the boat were sailors who worked on the fishing vessel. They had been out at sea for a long time, so they were returning. But before they could dock, the Ministry had to ensure that they followed all procedures and safety requirements in order to walk on Samoan soil,” he said.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries tracked and trailed the fishing vessels activities throughout their time at sea and had found that at no point did they make land at any island in the region, they never sailed beyond fishing borders in the region, and they never linked with another vessel.
This prompted the MAF that the vessel had maintained isolation from any other human contact aside from those amongst their ship.
“The tracker and radar that the boat has corresponds with our tracking system here in Samoa. So if they turned it off, we would know and they wouldn’t be allowed on the island. Even so if they came in contact with another ship, we would know,” he added.
Lopao’o also brushed off Olo’s accusations purporting that the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries had presented the F.K. (Cabinet Decision) to allow the fishing boat crew to enter the country in person, with a police escort.
“The minister does not deliver the F.K. That is the responsibility of the CEO and the Ministry, to deliver the F.K. and that’s the way it is done. I was never at the port, and I never came to deliver a F.K.” Lopao’o said.
“It appears to me that Olo does not understand the procedures that the Government follows. It is important that he understands this if he intends to gain a seat in Government.
“The operating ministry does the research, in this case the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, they then pass their recommendations to the Minister, and the Minister will present it to Cabinet for the final decision.
“If Cabinet approves the recommendations, then the Minister will be handed a F.K. where it will say your request has been accepted along with guidelines.”
