PMO, Pōhiva & Co.: Go Ahead; Make My Day, Sue Me! ^Featured

I did not write that the Cabinet has approved purchasing Siaosi Pōhiva & Pīveni Piukala’s computer software. Please read my original letter again. And do they want the public to believe that Pīveni Piukala did not make claims on TV Tonga about their computer product? Sorry but we’re not that stupid.

Ain’t it amusing that Prime Minister Pōhiva, and his cronies at the PMO, are the same gang who attacked past governments like fangs-bared “watchdogs,” are using the same tactics to silence their critics? Now they’ve considered themselves as smart as the Polynesian demigod, “Maui-the- trickster.” And they can fish up island (trick) after island (trick) with fishhooks (keyboard strokes).

Because they have expert communication advisors at the PMO, such as a “cow-reproduction” expert, and a senior bully journalist whose journalism principles are determined by his bank account – Mr. Kalafi Moala – they’ve considered themselves “untouchable.” They have then expensed PMO valuable resources to attack one journalist, and to denigrate civil public discourse to a “piva” (woman’s skirt) journalism fiasco, where they resorted to name-calling, and character assassination.

Siaosi Pōhiva Runs Crying to Daddy

So, Siaosi Pōhiva runs crying to “daddy” in the PMO that Sione Mokofisi has been mean to him in the playgrounds. He, therefore, threatened legal actions, and the PMO has issued an “official” press release in support of Siaosi Pōhiva.

Let me say this, “Listen Siaosi Pōhiva, Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva, Kalafi Moala, et al.: Go ahead. Make my day. Sue Me! You can perfect self-denial, but you cannot erase the facts, which are saved on video recordings. And Mr. Kalafi Moala; you need to butt out of this fight; this is not your fight, but you’ve used government properties for your newspaper (“Taimi ‘o Tonga) to jump in uninvited.”

 (a) Fact #1: That the Prime Minister did go on TV Tonga and made an announcement about complaints from parents of high school-leavers − how many filed complaints? he didn’t say − regarding discrepancies in their national examination scores due to a flawed computer “software” in the SPBEA system. But it raised my interest to a high-pitch level perhaps there might be a more sinister motive behind this government declaration. Logic: lack of details on how many parents complained was a missing link.

(b) Fact #2: That shortly after the Prime Minister’s TV announcement, the “computer expert” he promised to arrive in Tonga to fix the problem, Mr. Pīveni Piukala, made claims on the same TV Tonga program − Ms. Viola Ulakai’s TV show – that he (Mr. Piukala) has the solution to the computer problems, which the PM has called a “software” or “mīsini” for the computer. Logic: His detailed technical explanation was overly confusing that it sounded like a “dog and pony” show, and a slick sales pitch; he offered no supporting independent studies.

(c) Fact #3: That Mr. Pīveni Piukala made claims on the same Ms. Viola Ulakai’s TV show that he wished the Prime Minister’s son, Siaosi Pōhiva, was here in Tonga to take “credit” for the work on their product. Logic: Mr. Pīveni has revealed a working relationship with Mr. Siaosi Pōhiva, and that the latter has family connections to the Prime Minister’s Office.

(d) Fact #4:  That Dr. Vesisio Pongi, who mentored Mr. Pīveni Piukala at SPBEA - has confirmed in his letter to Mr. Piukala (I have a copy of the letter); (i) that he misled the Director/Principals’ meeting; (ii) that whatever computer software “system” he claimed to have created will not work; (iii) Logic…Mr. Pīukala claimed to have a software system and Dr. Pongi confirmed that Mr. Piukala had made the claim.

(e) My analyses: (i) I’ve never said that the Cabinet has approved the purchase of Mr. Siaosi Pōhiva and Mr. Pīveni Piukala’s software product; (ii) please read my original letter; (iii) however, by simple logic that left me with the choices of either accepting his slick sales-pitch like an “useful idiot” Tongan as he expected, or use “extrapolation” or “triangulation” research techniques to come up with an educated “estimate.”  

Logic: As an example, if PM ‘Akilisi Pōhiva refuses to tell me how much he is paid as a Prime Minister, I can go to former PM Lord Tu‘ivakanō and ask how much was he paid to do the same job? I’ll have to adjust for a 10% Cola increase and for inflation in today’s pa‘anga, to be able to make an educated estimate. Other similar programs in the market are priced over TOP$1 million.

So, now they’re all claiming there’s no computer software. Really? Then what was Pīveni Piukala trying to sell to us on Viola Ulakai’s TV show, to the Director/Principals’ meeting, which Dr. Vesisio Pongi wrote about? I’m glad now that they’ve conveniently pulled the “software” product out of the market.

Good riddance! We’ve done our job. We’ve saved Tonga from another nepotism fraudulent deal.

(Sione A. Mokofisi is a published bi-lingual journalist in the U.S. and Tongan media. He wrote for daily newspapers, online Websites, and served as editor on weekly and monthly publications. He graduated from Liahona High School, earned a MBA and a minor in mass communications, and is completing the doctoral dissertation for the DBA at the University of Phoenix, Arizona. E-mail address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).