MECDM FAREWELLS FORMER MINISTER AND PERMANENT SECRETARY AND WELCOMES NEW MINISTER AND PERMANENT SECRETARY
HONIARA, 28th April 2024 – Staff from Ministry of Environment Climate Change Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) on Friday 24th May held a special ceremony to say farewell to their former Minister Honorable Stanley Festus Sofu, Permanent Secretary Dr. Melchior Mataki and also to welcome their new Minister Honorable Trevor Manemahaga and Permanent Secretary (PS) Ms Susan Sulu.
After the formation of the new Government of National Unity and Transformation (GNUT), a minor reshuffle of Permanent Secretaries was initiated that saw PS Dr. Mataki reassigned to the Ministry of National Panning and Development Coordination (MNPD) and PS Sulu now taking charge of the Ministry of Environment Climate Change Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM).
Reflecting on the eleven years Dr Mataki served as Permanent Secretary (PS) for MECDM, Deputy Secretary Technical Mr Channel Iroi said as a technical Ministry we are honored to have a person of his standing as our head for the past eleven years.
He told Dr. Mataki that his inspiration, vision and commitment to excellence as a leader in the Ministry will be remembered as we say farewell and embrace the new challenges going forward under the leadership of the new Permanent Secretary.
He wished Dr Mataki all the best in his new undertaking at the MNPD.
In responding to remarks made by Mr Iroi, PS Dr. Mataki said in the Eleven years he served in the Ministry he has developed a very close relationship with the staff of the Ministry which at times gave him a bit of a liberty to sometimes give direct command to staff that might have hurt them somehow. For that he requested for forgiveness.
He told all the heads of division that he values and treasured the very good and close working relationship developed over the years and ask that the same be accorded to the new Permanent Secretary.
“I value and treasure the working relationships, the discussions and support you have given me during my tenure as PS for the Ministry”
On the technical functions of the Ministry Dr Mataki thanked all staff from the DS’s down for contributing to defining and delivering the mandates of the Ministry.
He said the MECDM by its very nature is a very technical ministry, but he assured the new minister and PS that they have the backing of highly technical staff within all the divisions that they can rely on to deliver its mandates.
Meanwhile new Permanent Secretary Ms Susan Sulu has taken up post at the MECDM two weeks ago.
PS Sulu also took the time to thank her predecessor for his service to the ministry and welcome the new minister in her capacity as the new PS.
The occasion was graced by Hon. Trevor Manemahaga new minister for the MECDM who pledged to operate on an open-door policy where all HOD’s up to the PS can freely come to his office to discuss issues that will help the ministry deliver its mandates to people of Solomon Islands.
Hon. Trevor is the newly elected member of Parliament Gao-Bugotu Constituency, and he replaces Hon. Stanley Festus Sofu who served as the minister for the MECDM for the last three years.
MECDM Press