^{By Georgina Maka’a & Ofani Eremae}

LANDS minister Ishmael Avui recently threatened to “slap” the Commissioner of Lands Alan McNeil, documents and audio recordings In-depth Solomons has obtained revealed.

The flare-up was over government land and a house in the Lengakiki area, west Honiara, that Avui wanted to be given to John Ada, a retired public servant currently occupying the house.

Documents also showed Avui ordered some of his staff to hunt McNeil down and bring him over to his office.

“For his personal safety, the Commissioner stayed away from the office and blocked the minister from Whatsapp.

“The Commissioner reported the threats made by the minister to the Land Board and the police,” documents stated.

According to the documents, in 2005 a former Deputy Secretary for Policy in the Prime Minister’s office wrote to Ada, who was still working at that time, giving approval to him to acquire a government servant’s quarters at Vasekana Ridge, Lengakiki.

This is despite the fact that this officer had no authority to allocate government quarters, and the fact that in 2005, Cabinet agreed on a moratorium on the sale of government quarters. 

The documents say in 2017, former Commissioner of Lands Nelson Naoapu wrote a letter to Pauline Bara and Martin Robinson, care of John Ada. Robinson is Ada’s son. 

The letter purports to offer a 75-year Fixed Term Estate over Lot 1840 Section 3, Honiara. 

This lot has an area of 930 square metres and in fact covers a total of three government quarters, not just the one still illegally occupied by Ada. The other two quarters are being occupied by Ministry of Lands officers. 

The documents revealed Naoapu did not seek the approval of the Land Board and did not have the power to offer the land. So his decision was illegal.

Documents show the issue came to light again in 2019, when the Director of Government Housing wrote to the Land Board, admitting that they had been erroneously facilitating rental payments since 2017 because of misleading documents from the Commissioner’s office suggesting Ada was already the official landlord. 

“The title had never been registered though. It was recommended that the offer be revoked, and the Land Board agreed to revoke the offer,” the documents stated.

“In 2023, the Minister for Lands Ishmael Avui got involved. 

“It is understood John Ada is from the same constituency and same village, and a ‘hard core’ supporter of the Minister,” the documents say.

Avui, a former senior public servant, is the MP for East Central Guadalcanal. He is currently serving his second term.

When the matter was brought to his attention, he sent a strongly-worded WhatsApp message to the Commissioner.

“Commissioner of Lands, you will kill the father of the family, which the former commissioner had given this land and property to him, if you proceed to revoke his allocation. 

“Please allocate this property SQ26 to John Ada. 

“Ada is a very sick man and upon his receipt of your letters, his sick had deteriorated. 

“Please consider this case in its own merit – revoke all letters and re-issue allocation letter to John Ada.”

Documents show McNeil responded to the minister saying the Land Board had already rejected the matter, but he would put it back to the Board anyway. 

“The Board looked at the matter again in June 2023, and again rejected the appeal, due to the fact the Board had already made its decision, and bearing in mind Cabinet’s moratorium on the sale of government quarters,” according to the documents.

On 29 June 2023 the Minister tried again, with further messages on Whatsapp to the Commissioner of Lands: 

“Commissioner of Lands, I had discussed this matter with you. 

“This land must be given to this family… the father’s sick condition is deteriorating because of the decision of the Land Board.

“The Board must be humanistic in this case… have the Board revoke its decision ASAP.

“This family are Solomon Islanders… the father served the government for a long time… I submit that the Board revoke its decision in its next meeting.”

The documents say at a meeting on 4 July 2023, the Commissioner again raised the Minister’s request with the Land Board, and the Board again maintained its rejection of this matter and the Minister be advised to take the matter to Cabinet if he wishes. 

The following day, the Minister sent more messages to the Commissioner, and he clearly had heard about the Board’s latest rejection: 

“Commissioner, mi save lo decision lo Board lo case mi talem you yia, and mi no hapi lo hem. You herem? 

“Mi no hapi lo you how you influencim Board. Mi expressim that one straight away lo you this time. Yia? 

“You mekim decision yia. Retable it again. You no mekem mi cross. YOU HEREM? No good me kam slapim you lo there. YOU DO WHAT I SAID MAN!

“Mi aware that you now always influencim Board yia. You are just a secretary. You herem? You are just a secretary. You don’t influence the Board”.

When contacted, Land Board chairman Victor Ngelle confirmed McNeil reported the threats Avui made to him.

However, Ngelle said the right person to comment on the matter is the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Lands and Housing Stanley Waleanisia.

Waleanisia could not be reached in time to comment on this story.

Avui admitted making threats to McNeil, but added “I felt bad at the times I made those threats”.

He told In-depth Solomons his request to the Commissioner to have the land allocated to Ada was based on “humanitarian grounds”.

“Let me make it clear here Ada was not my hardcore supporter.

“He was a long-serving public servant who was forced to retire on medical grounds.

“His wife came to me this year and said they’ve been ordered to vacate the house.

“Her husband was very sick and was at the point of death.

“So I made the request on humanitarian grounds and not because Ada is my supporter.

“Now that the Land Board has offered advise for me to take the matter to Cabinet, this is the step that I am now taking.

“I have instructed my PS to prepare a paper for Cabinet on this matter.

“I still believe Ada and his family are entitled to the government house that they are currently occupying.”

Avui added despite the flare-up with the Commissioner, they remain in good working terms.

However, documents show the situation is unfortunate and intolerable.

“Avui has told the then Land Board chair Stephen Panga that he wants the Commissioner of Lands to be shifted to a different office in the Ministry, to be further away from the Minister’s office. 

“The Minister has not sought to withdraw or apologise for the threats made to the Commissioner. 

“He appears determined, at all costs, to reward his wantok with a land allocation, including three government quarters, despite the added cost burden this would add to the government in having to rent three private houses for government officers indefinitely into the future.

“The Land Board is comprised of professional people.

“They make informed decisions in the national interest. 

“They are not swayed by personal or political interests. 

“By trying to influence and bully the Commissioner of Lands and the Land Board, he has demeaned his position as Minister for Lands. 

“By openly and consistently seeking to pressure the Commissioner and Land Board to make a decision contrary to a Cabinet decision, Avui has seriously called his integrity into question.”

The documents say the issue has been reported to the Prime Minister, who is said to be considering the issue carefully. 

“People close to the issue are seeking either a Cabinet reshuffle or for the Minister to be sacked outright. 

“So far, no action has been taken and the issue remains unresolved at the ministry, with no further communication between the Minister and the Commissioner. 

“John Ada and his family continue to live illegally in the government quarters at Vasekana Road.”

McNeil, who’s contract has been renewed this week for another three years, has preferred not to comment on the issue.

Ends///