Government restructures SPG Committee after Lord Sevele refuses to step down ^Featured

31st March, 2016

Editor                                                                                                 
Kaniva Online, New Zealand
cc: Local Media

Dear Editor

Re: Government restructures SPG Committee after Lord Sevele refuses to step down

I wish to refer to your article on 23/03/2016 as above stated and would like to clarify and correct several matters for the benefit of the public and to be understood by all. Inaccurate and wrong public statements do not help at all. Hence my plea that you kindly print this letter in full or at least take the content into account in a further article to rectify the matter.

The three (3) Committees you mentioned, namely, Audit & Governance Authority (AGA), Government Facilities Committee (GFC) and 2019 Organizing Committee (OC) are all established under the Pacific Games Organization Act 2013 and the Pacific Games Host Agreement which was signed by Lord Vaea (on behalf of the Host Government of Tonga) and Lord Tupou, who was President of TASANOC at the time on behalf of the Host PGA (Pacific Games Association) of the day.

The responsibilities of the three Committees are not mutually exclusive and are clearly stated in the Act as follows:

Audit & Governance Authority (AGA): responsible for overseeing and monitoring the Organizing Committee and their preparations for and their conduct of the Games. The Chairperson was Hon. Prime Minister, Lord Tu’ivakano (2014), Hon. Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni (2015) and Hon. PM, Hon. Samuela ‘A Pohiva (took over since February 2016).

Games Facilities Committee (GFC): responsible for the construction of ALL Games facilities and venues. The Chairperson is Hon. Minister of Internal Affairs & Sports, Hon. Sosefo F. Vakata.
Organizing Committee (OC): responsible for the preparations, management and conduct of the 2019 Pacific Games. The Chairperson and CEO is Lord Sevele.

Therefore, your claim that the Prime Minister’s Office has formalized three Government bodies is not correct.

Your claim that the “restructure was a result of refusal by Lord Sevele and other Committee members to step down” is also totally incorrect and wrong. The move by Hon. Prime Minister and Government was not a “restructure” but actually “doing what it (Government) is supposed to be doing”

The appointment of Lord Sevele to the role in April 2014 was carried out by the original Organizing Committee, chaired by the then Solicitor General as per the relevant provisions of the Act, and endorsed by the AGA of previous Government of Lord Tu’ivakano and the Pacific Games Council. This was already 18 months behind since the right to host the Games was awarded in October 2012.

It is important to understand that by law it is only the OC that has the power to terminate the employment of Lord Sevele. However, the OC has always clearly stated their confidence in Lord Sevele as Chairman/CEO and the staff of the Secretariat to carry out what it has been mandated to undertake. We have people in the OC with status, experience and proven records in their services for Tonga over many years, and 5 CEOs of Government Ministries in the Committee as well.

Tonga was heading towards a General Election and a possible change in Government in late 2014, Lord Sevele and the OC worked tirelessly on behalf of the GFC of the day to produce a Master Plan. The OC managed to produce the 2019 Pacific Games Master Plan within 6-7 months with the assistance of expertise from BECA and PRI (New Zealand based companies) and was able to table it with previous Government by early December 2014.

The OC conducted a presentation and progress report to the new Government of Hon. Pohiva in late January 2015, and on several occasions since, and submitted several copies of the 2019 Pacific Games Master Plan to Members of the Cabinet. A major part of the delays has been the non-commitment of the present Government to the hosting of the Games during their first 7 months in office. It was only after the Games in Papua that the Prime Minister Pohiva finally came out publicly in support of our hosting the Games, in contrast to his publicly-stated non-support only a few days before the closing of the PNG Games.

Therefore, it must be noted that during all these times, the OC had been taking the leading role in preparing and working on behalf of and in cooperation with the GFC, particularly for the facilities and venues and the “taking over” by Government is only a “continuation” of what we had started as mentioned above as well as it is their responsibility.

The successful of the 2019 Pacific Games will hinge on these three parties, as well as other key stakeholders, to work together as they all have their respective yet core roles and functions to play. This is the time for ALL of us to stand and together to achieve a memorable Game in Tonga. The legacy will be enormous, economically, sporting facilities, knowledge, and similar for a better and healthier Tonga.

Our slogan calls for, “OUR PEOPLE OUR GAMES”, as we are all proud Tongans.

Malo ‘Aupito,

Takitoa Taumoepeau
Secretary-General – TASANOC
Ex-Officio Member & Director of Venues,
2019 Pacific Games Organizing Committee (OC)