By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
When PM Fiame upended her former lady Minister of Finance from grace, the woman had barely warmed her Cabinet seat.
Her marching orders came shortly after having rubbed shoulders with the Asian business elite in Hong Kong, to set up a Stock Exchange Market for Samoa.
We all know the story of course.
Still, new chapters have and are continuing to be added to this particular tale.
The latest is the Ministry of Finance, MOF, open assurance that the national debt and repayments to Samoa’s debtors continue to remain properly accountable.
The ex-Minister believed it is not and made her beliefs public.
MOF responded with a media statement to update the public so as not to be misinformed by the claims.
Why all this? What brought all this about? Why now?
The 2026 general elections wheels are turning already folks. This has to be all part of the warm up before the big kick off.
As voters we are being dragged into the political pre-election melee whether we want to or not.
Election candidates are set to roll out a line up of claims and scenarios, to woo our trust and beliefs in their capable leadership.
The ex-Finance Minister is already at the ‘kick off’ stage with these unverified claims of financial concern, probably to sow distrust on the current leadership.
MOF, however, has come forth to rubbish the claims as misinformation.
If there is any lasting positive for us the public/voters to take out of this insulting, voters wooing deception, it is the benefit of being properly informed.
We have the MOF to thank for that.
A noble example is now in place for every Government Ministry or SOE to take up as a commitment to save us the public/voters from being made fools of.
MOF made it possible for us to separate fact from fiction in this pre-election case of misinformation by the ex-Finance Minister.
High time for these forked tongue politicians to be wary that we the public/voters “…cannot be fooled by no one no time.”
Hey, there is a comforting ring to that saying, don’t you think!!