Council-school stand off
By JOHN L. AATAI
PARENTS of Honiara Integrate Primary School (HIPS) say the school will not be relocated unless the Honiara City Council provides an alternative site.
They were responding to threats by city mayor Andrew Mua to demolish the school within 48 hours if they failed to prove accusations that the mayor is planning to sell the site to an Asian businessman.
Mr Mua had denied the accusation.
Responding to Mr Mua’s threat, parents yesterday stand united and vowed to keep the school intact.
“Well, if the mayor wants to demolish the school within 48 hours, we also demand that he meets us within the next 48 hours,” one parent said.
“We also requested the major to provide us the minutes and resolution of the council meeting that decided on the relocation of the school,” he added.
“The major just cannot relocate the school through his own decision.
“Any decision must come from the council executive.
“So he needs to provide us the minutes and resolution of the full council executive meeting that made the decision.
“This is why we want an audience with him in the next 48 hours.”
The parent said they still cannot understand why the major is refusing to meet them.
“HIPS operate under the authority of the city council.
“So it is only right that we meet the mayor face to face to express our stand on the situation.”
Parents say demolishing a school to give way to a recreational centre lacks wisdom and bodes on insanity.
“Has the major still had any humanity in him?
“What is a recreational centre to a school with more than a thousand students?
“Something is not right here.
“If the mayor or council wants the school relocated, where is the alternative site?
“These are the kind of questions and issues we want to discuss face to face with the mayor.
“We also want to let the mayor know that HIPS will not be relocated unless an alternative site is identified.
“We are prepared to give our lives for the sake of the more than 1,000 students currently attending the school.”
The council had earlier issued a notice to the school, advising them to leave its current site by 31 December this year.
