A prominent Chief in Honiara has called on Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to step down immediately, saying there is “no record to his name in development” in the last three years.

“The only record that the people of Solomon Islands have witnessed is that corruption has run rampant at the top echelon in government,” Chief Peter U’si told Island Sun in an exclusive interview yesterday.

“The people of Solomon Islands have seen nothing except heard promises after promises and they are tired. They have rejected him, particularly in the rural areas where he promised this and that but after three years in government and three multi-billion dollar budgets, the people simply got tired of empty promises,” Mr U’si said.

The Burns Creek Chief said the only record people of Solomon Islands have witnessed is a phenomenal growth in corruption in the last three years.

“What amazes me is that Prime Minister Sogavare did not seem to worry about involvement by his Ministers and senior officials in corruption, which has now taken a foothold in this country.

He said Prime Minister Sogavare has a duty to the people of Solomon Islands and the future of their nation.

“That duty now requires him to do the right thing by the people and step down immediately. Staying on will only worsen the situation,” Mr U’si said.

On RAMSI’s exit, Mr U’si said he’s ashamed of what the Government had done in farewelling the remnants of RAMSI personnel on 30^th June this year.

“Prime Minister Sogavare has simply ignored us the Chiefs in recognising our role in those difficult times. We held this country together until RAMSI arrived. We should have been invited to plan the farewell,” Mr U’si said.

“What Mr Sogavare forgets is that Governments come and go. Chiefs, on the other hand, are the mainstay of society. To ignore us as the government has done is a sign that they do not care about the welfare of the people.

“And that has come out very clear in the last three years of governing.”