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| Prime Minister Manaseh Sogavare, right, and Chairman of Governement Caucus Steve Abana attend the induction service for Members of Parliament at the United Church yesterday.
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Solomon Island Catholic Archbishop tells MPs to be servants of the people
ROBERT L. IROGA
Solomon Islands --
(Solomon Star 29th May 2006)
A CHURCH leader has warned parliamentarians to be servants to the people and not to fill their own pockets.
Catholic Archbishop Adrian Smith when delivering a sermon to the MPs during an Induction Service at the Wesley United Church yesterday in Honiara said: "The people of this nation did not vote so that you fill your own pockets."
Disappointingly only 19 of the 50 MPs turned up to listen to the powerful message delivered by the Solomon Islands Christian Association reprentative.
"At the end of of your term in office your success will be rated according to the contribution you made to giving every citizen of Solomon Islands a better standard of living, and not according to the balance in your priavate bank account," the Catholic bishop said.
He made references to the Bible quoting from Paul's Letter to Timothy saying that the love of money is the root of all evil, to support his message.
Smith warned the leaders that there is no room to be bickering amongst the leaders for higher places.
"You have a job to do, you are chosen servants of the people of Solomon Islnds," he said. The archbishop added that when the people of Solomons went to the polls they had a choice to make.
"You the elected members are the result of that choice. Now you have a choice to make: You can choose paganism and load it over your people expecting them to serve you, or you can choose Christianity and make Christ as your model of servant leadership," Smith said.
He told the MPs that human ambition, greed for power, pride and love of power and money will enslave them in paganism.
"Your ears will be blocked; your minds darkened as you use your people for your own advantage. God forbids that you have come to the office of parliamentarian with such an attitude," the archbishop said.
Smith urged the MPs to live up to their role as leaders as stipulated in the country's motto - To Lead is to Serve.
He told the MPs not to be guilty of self-service but serve the Solomon Islands and the people who mandated them to sit in the National Parliament.
However he cautioned that there are those who will come to MPs with full purses offering to help the people of Solomon Islands.
"Think about the common good of all the people of Solomon Islands before you let their money filter through your figure," he said.
Speaker of Parliament Sir Peter Kenilorea said the he's happy that churches have continued to pray for the country's leaders.
He reminded the leaders to uphold the country's motto as they undertake their leadership roles.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, handful of his ministers, the Leader of Opposition, Fred Fono, and a few Opposition MPs attended the induction service.
The Solomon Star understands that certain MPs are abroad on Government businesses in PNG and Japan whilst some MPs are in the provinces besides two other MPs who are still locked up in jail
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