By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
The guns and ammunition shipment by the Minister of Agriculture Laauli and his family has come across as normal legal business – why not?
When, as indicated already, you have all the proper documents to show for it then there should be no cause for concern or alarm.
Unfortunately, what stirred public fears during the week is in the timing of the consignment’s arrival.
The political divide in Samoa has remained unsettling, closing on two years now since the 2021 general elections and the highly acrimonious fallout, that has refused to go away.
Fighting words have been tossed back and forth to fuel the smoldering flames of public divisions on both sides by the political party leaders and their active supporters.
The angry reactions are flaring up not just at the domestic front but from a very loud and opinionated, far flung Samoan diaspora as well.
The confrontational exchange of political loyalties has become more heated on social media as the main battlefield of current opinion warfare.
Government is not helping either with blatant attempts to muscle under the stinging challenges of the opposition leader Tuilaepa with divide and conquer tactics inside his HRPP party.
All that has done is feed more fuel into the fire as supporters on both sides lash out at each other with their partisan beliefs and loyalties.
Whether we like it or not the troubled polical environment continues to remain seriously prone to constant flareups.
While Tuilaepa is taking up the fight from the opposition corner it is the Minister of Agriculture Laauli who has become the more assertive voice from the ruling party’s side.
The rhetorical barrage rumbles along at whims notice with both combatants having easy access to public opinion through various mediums.
What once was reserved for exclusive Parliamentary debate has spilled wantonly into the open to stir public views and incite retaliatory reactions.
This is the agitated environment that has kept the political landscape in the country hostage for going on 24 months and counting.
When and how it will end is not about to be answered any time soon given the prevailing political animosity.
All this continues to eat away at the stability Samoa once boasted of before the April 2021 general elections turned peace and harmony bum side up.
Herein is the volatile backdrop where public safety fear lies and rightfully so.
When reports of a guns and ammunition shipment held up at Customs started to circulate, the question is how would that come across against the unstable backdrop Samoa is in?
When the Minister’s name was directly linked to the weapons consignment how reassuring is that really?
He is one of the key players in the on going political war of words that has kept Samoa unstable.
How will it sound to the worried public to hear his name tied to a shipment of arms whether it is legal or not?
The anxious public have every right to become fearful of the political uncertainties and consequences escalating into the use of weapons – it is normal human reaction.
If this arms shipment had arrived at any other time other than now, while there is much uncertainty in the national political climate, it would hardly warrant any public bother.
If the Minister and his family’s timing is insensitive, even if unintentional, then there is merit in the thought.
Business is of course business and that is not the point of argument here.
Safety of innocent lives takes the front seat at all times not profit margins.
Samoa has obviously come under the microscope of not just our regional neighbours but the international community since our political troubles started.
How will they react to reports of arms shipment arriving into the country where political instability remains a fearful worry?
What about our aid partners we depend on so heavily for their development support? Will they continue to give willingly to help us along?
The Minister should take full responsibility for not anticipating the fright this shipment of guns and ammunitions caused at a very sensitive time to the public.
The same for any added stress to our regional and international ties and more importantly our aid partners.
Prime Minister Fiame has called for a full police investigation into the shipment and that should be respected as genuine concern.
In our current environment of political confrontation, however, the intentions could be scoffed at by sceptics as damage control.
Not surprising surely. It is in keeping with the unstable environment our politics is currently handcuffed to.
The Minister of Agriculture would do well for his own peace of mind not to overlook, whether by oversight or not, public safety fears next time.
Public wellbeing is paramount for any political leader.
Do not lose sight of that. Please.