Dear Editor,

Samoans welcomed the news that the 5th Atoa o Samoa meeting will take place this week in American Samoa.

We are told that Prime Minister Fiame has traveled to Pago Pago with her Cabinet.

It will be an opportunity to start making amends for some of the most embarrassing events that have happened between the two Samoas.

It is time to offer an apology in person to the Governor and people of American Samoa for the harm done – by the infamous Minister of Agriculture who, without the knowledge of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, offered a 400-acre cattle farm at Falealili to the American Samoa Government.

To make matters worse, while the American Samoa Senate was still debating the transaction with their Director of Agriculture in Pago Pago, Fiame was announcing in the Samoan Parliament that this was all fake news as no such transaction had taken place.

Without hesitation, the Minister who initiated the transaction confirmed to the media that no such deal had been made!

It appears that United States federal funds earmarked for American Samoan food security programs have already been paid to build a fence around the cattle farm.  

An additional 500 beasts were to be purchased from Australia to supplement the few cattle that were generously gifted to the farm by FAST government officials.

The American Samoa Director of Agriculture and the Samoa Minister of Agriculture led the negotiations for this arrangement.

If it is true that United States federal funds were paid to the Minister of Agriculture for this venture, including the cost of fencing the cattle farm, then the American Samoa Government needs to take another close look at their investment.

The fence at the Falealili cattle farm is not new.

It is part of a Samoan Government Experimental Farm that was built under the Ministry of Agriculture.

It certainly did not cost the American taxpayer thousands of dollars or even a million to build that fence.

The United States federal government, the Governor and Senate of American Samoa are champions of the rule of law.

If they have been misled on any of the financial arrangements for the Falealili cattle farm, then the FAST Government must reimburse these funds to the American taxpayer.

This episode is a humiliating embarrassment to the leaders and people of Samoa.

Fiame and her Cabinet need to own up to their irresponsible actions in order to restore the integrity and sacred relationship between the two Samoas.

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi

Leader of HRPP