Archive - Feb 22, 2012 - Article (News Story)

The Attorney General’s Office is in the process of collecting all the items that were used at the Independent prosecutor’s office when it was set up in 2009. The items include a Ford SUV, furniture, computers, cabinets, chairs, bookshelves and other office equipment.

Samoa News understands that Independent Prosecutor Fa’amomoi Masaniai transferred the IP’s Ford SUV to the Public Defender’s office along with the computers and office equipment, and there was also some equipment transferred to other government agencies.

Ua pasia e le Maota Maualuga i le taeao ananafi sa latou iugafono e faavae ai se Komiti Suesue a le Senate (SSIC), e gafa ma le iloiloina o mataupu tau tupe ma gaioiga a le malo, lea e le o manino lelei i ai le Fono Faitulafono.

The Financial Aid Office at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) has recently taken steps to clarify a change in the federal student aid policy for the current 2011-2012 academic year in order to avoid confusion and misunderstanding with regards to student funding for summer school.

Attorney Afoa Leulumoega Su’esu’e Lutu yesterday declared he is running for Governor of American Samoa in the coming general election. Afoa, a High Chief of Utulei, has chosen for his running mate, Le’i Sonny Thompson a ranking orator of Ofu, Manua and currently Director of Administrative Services.

The Senate yesterday passed a resolution to establish a Senate Investigating Committee (SSIC), when all Senators attending yesterday’s morning’s session voted yes.

Sixteen Longliner mariners have just completed two weeks of training for U.S. Masters operating in the American Samoa Longline Fishery. The training was coordinated with the Tautai-O-Samoa-Longline & Fishing Association, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) American Samoa Safety Detachment Office, American Samoa Shipyard Services Authority and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Observer Program.

This week, the Student Support Services (SSS) division at the American Samoa Community College will participate in TRIO Week, a nationwide activity during which the eight federally funded educational opportunity outreach programs that make up TRIO are encouraged to perform community services as a way to give back to their respective communities and say thank you for their support.

The contributions of the Samoan community in Campbelltown were celebrated with a meeting last week between Campbelltown state Liberal MP Bryan Doyle and a parliamentary delegation from the Pacific nation.

Mr Doyle met with the group - led by Deputy Prime Minister Fonotoe Lauofo - at Parliament House.

The Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa Fepuleai Attila Manutoipule Ropati and High Commissioner for Samoa Lemalu Tate Simi were also part of the delegation.

UTULEI— In preparation for the departure of the American Samoa National Emergency Grant (ASNEG) Program participants to work in Guam this Thursday, February 23, Governor Togiola Tulafono expressed his gratitude to Guam Governor Eddie Calvo, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Territory’s Department of Human Resources for making the project available to American Samoa.

The Pacific’s technical advisory body, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, is being urged to listen to the views of the region’s communities on seabed mining.

The SPC has drafted a legislative framework on deep sea mining, intended as a guide for Pacific countries with ocean floor mineral resources.

The national co-ordinator of Papua New Guinea’s marine conservation group, Mas Kagin Tapani, joins others in criticising the European Union-funded framework for its lack of protection of those likely to be affected by extractive work.