FAMILIES and relatives of John Makena of Aleang Village in Shortland Island continue to demand justice from responsible authorities in Gizo, Western Province.

John Maneka’s family are seeking justice from authorities mandated to facilitate the peace reconciliation process with 18 Gilberties who beat him unconscious on December 11, 2015, at Malakerava 3 after a conflict between the Shortland and Gilbert people last year.

John Maneka told Island Sun Gizo yesterday, “earlier peace and reconciliation has done at Gizo hotel last year and they made traditional settlement of the conflict apart from the legal system taking its core, but why responsible authorities doing nothing to settle my case?

“I have not seen or heard any responds towards this case of action and we all are law abiding citizens and we respect this avenue.

“Prior arrangement brings a lot of ignorance towards my issue and who are the responsible people to settle quickly this matter.

“This will allow a room for others to be victim again or how can responsible authorities will go about peacefully to resolve this particular area?

He said he is now a disabled person certified unfit to engage in any paid employment to sustain his family’s basic need including his children’s educational needs.

His immediate and extended families are not happy with the way he was beaten while executing his duties as a Gizo hotel employer.

He claims that he is lucky to be alive after the “attempt on his life”.

Rawaku Kiata said, “We are not in a very good mood about his conditions and traditionally we are not happy and we call on the responsible people to quickly settle our issue before March next year.

Kiata said the payment that was done last year was only to encourage Makena’s relatives to refrain from retaliation but the “real” compensation for the victim, Mr Makena, is yet to be received from anyone, be it the authorities or the perpetrators.

“They clapped, shake hands and happily drink beer about it but the pain and suffering remains to Makena as hurtful feelings built up frustration, hate rate towards each other.”

He urges the provincial government, Western Province Peace and Reconciliation to quickly settle Makena’s case to make arrangements to see that this reconciliation must be done – for Makena to be compensated quickly.