Dear Editor – The Hon. Obed Neo is a Member of the Provincial Assembly for Ward 7 at Koviloko in Isabel Province and a gentleman who has done much to aid the elderly, the widows and disabled people in his ward, totaling more than 267 disadvantaged persons.
He is desperately seeking aid to secure 350 solar 20 watt power units to distribute to the needy people in his community.
His appeal is timely since the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, last week pledged to fund solar power projects and the distribution of generic medicine to 14 Pacific Island countries.
Prime Minister Modi’s pledge came at the end of a summit with the leaders of Pacific countries in the Indian western state of Rajasthan.
Provincial ward grants, while gratefully acknowledged by Hon. Neo, are not enough to acquire the solar power units he urgently requires.
It is my plea to the DCCG that Hon Neo’s requirements for solar power units for his ward, along with other solar power demands from other provinces in the Solomon Islands, be assessed, determined and requested from the Government of the Republic of India as a follow-up to the pledge made by Prime Minister Modi.
In the interim, perhaps the Honourable Member of Parliament, who represents the ward 7 constituency at Koviloko, might consider aiding the disadvantaged community with solar power units as was done recently at Gegede in East Guadalcanal by their constituency Member of Parliament.
Frank Short
Former police commissioner
Bangkok, Thailand
