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Faleata 4 MP Claims Fiame Lacks Leadership Skills
By Lagi Keresoma/
Apia, Samoa – 23 January 2025 – A vocal critic of Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa is at it again – this time asserting the Prime Minister lacks leadership skills.
The Member of Parliament for Faleata 4, Ale Vena Ale publicly made the statement during the FAST Party press conference at the party’s headquarters at Tuana’imato n Monday this week.
Ale is one of the 13 Associate Ministers terminated by the Prime Minister last Friday having signed a caucus letter that expressed loss of confidence in the PM’s leadership. Ale then criticized the Prime Minister’s “silence” over a number on issues of national interest.
Asked to elaborate on his claim at the press conference, Ale’s claim centered around to the unresolved hit and run incident in April 2021 that claimed the life of a university student.
Four years later, no one has been charged directly with the incident, however, people have been charged and accused of matters relating to the incident.
“It has been four years an no charge has been made, police have failed and that is also the failure of the Government,” Ale stated.
“There was also a request to recruit a police team from overseas to handle the investigation given the conflict of interest of so many people in the matter,” Ale said.
It was around that time that the Minister of Police, Faualo Harry Schuster announced his conflict of interest being related to one of the suspects – Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi and the Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio stepped in to assume Faualo’s duties on this particular matter.
However, when Fiame returned from an overseas trip, she overturned the decision and told Parliament that there was no need to recruit overseas police as Samoa has their own police to handle the investigation.
Also of major concern to the FAST caucus is the fast growing problem of illicit drugs especially ‘ice’ that according to a sensitive report already given the Prime Minister and Cabinet, that is targeting young people and students and the allegations of police involvement.
“This is one matter and many others of national interest that the people need answers to, but the PM is silent and it is a concern to the FAST party as the countdown to next year’s general election draws near,” said the Faleata 4 MP.
Vitale Leafi
January 24, 2025 at 6:42 am
In Samoa there are way too many chiefs and not enough indians (no disrespect to the indians) It’s challenging trying to manage some of those high profile personalities and chiefs…can’t please everyone. It seems to be the FAST party is experiencing the same growing pain in their own party dynamics as the HRPP went through…some of their own members also criticised & in the end lost faith in Tuilaepa’s leadership. Uncommon, NO!
As for the unresolved hit and run incident in April 2021 that claimed the life of a university student. I agree with the PM for not getting overseas help. Samoa is an independent nation and should be able to handle her own affairs. It would have been easier if the offenders of this crime would admit guilt & endowed with god’s given sense to come forward. But more likely not going to happen. It has been 4 years and no charges have been filed. On the other hand, if the police department don’t have the resources and capability to carry out complex investigation, why didn’t the Cabinet Minister assign a special counsel to conduct the criminal investigation. We have a lot of lawyers in Samoa. that can be assigned to carry this out, unless the silence surrounding the issue is an attempt to cover up. It’s all in the realm of possibility!
As for illicit drugs spreading rampantly in the country, the leaders of the country must come up with a plan & program in which should include public education on the negative impact of drugs on individuals, families, villages and any organization. Fighting illicit drugs takes a collective effort, NOT just the PM. Chiefs & Village Councils, churches must step up their effort to counter this problem and NOT just WORDS.