During the July 11 cabinet meeting, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga fended off complaints about staff within the Governor’s Office, especially his most trusted advisors who the governor says work almost 24-hours a day to move the government forward where it is today.

The three senior staffers that the governor identify by name are the governor’s legal counsel, Steven Watson; governor’s executive assistant Iulogologo Joseph Pereira; and governor’s chief of staff Fiu Johnny Saelua.

Lolo addressing the issue of complaints about these senior staff members does not come as a surprise as there has been criticism and complaints circulating within the administration about the trio. Even some managers within the administration have complained quietly to lawmakers about the three senior staffers at the governor’s office.

Lolo told directors that he knows that cabinet members have complain about his senior staff but “those are the people who really help us move this government” and “those are the  people who really do the work for us.”

“So bear with it,” he said, “because the only way we can move this government, is for them to move us —  to move you. That’s their purpose [at the Governor’s Office] and they’re very committed.”

According to the governor, Iulogologo, Watson and Fiu, “work almost 24-hours a day.”

“I know they come in at odd hours, they come in when I call them. My agenda has no time schedule,” said Lolo adding that he calls Iulogologo, Watson or Fiu at 11 p.m. when he remembers things that need to be done or thinks of something that needs to be addressed.

“And that’s how we move this government, and we thank God for giving them the strength to advise us on what to do,” he said. “We’re very capable of taking advise.”

However, the governor pointed out that he had make sure and also reminded the trio that “none of them come between you - the director - and us (the governor and lieutenant governor).”

“But their role has been very effective in terms of moving this government. Without them, I don’t know what we’d do,” Lolo told directors. “So we rely on people like the staff [at the governor's office]. Sometimes they get on you, they push you to do things, and that’s the only way we can accomplish what we’ve set out to accomplish.”

The governor then reiterated to directors his sincere thanks and appreciation for “your efforts in getting this government moved [orward] and we hope we continue to do things, the way we are doing now” for the betterment of the community.

Lolo acknowledged that  mistakes will be made along the way but that’s how “we progress” and “how we improve... is to know our short comings, and what we do wrong” and  then correct those mistakes.

“Many times, we made bad decisions, but we have to come back and sit down and think about it. Don’t forget mistakes are part of what we do,” he said and jokingly told directors not to make mistakes too often. This resulted in laughter from the cabinet.

“We cannot satisfy everybody” but “we do our best”, he added.