DEAR EDITOR, as we are all aware, over the weeks the National Training Unit (NTU) office was flooded with students following up their scholarship awards.

This includes both new and continuing students.

It is public knowledge that the NTU management is unorganised and there are a lot of issues that need to be address particularly on the NTU’s Director, Clement Tito responsibility.

First and for most, a lot of students including myself have concerned over the choosy decision the NTU made thus picked and recommended only two clinics namely International Medical Centre and Island Medical Care Centre for SIG funded students to get their medical clearance.

Any medical clearance approved or done apart from these two private Medical Centre’s are not accepted by NTU director.

As a struggling student, I am not content with this decision made by the NTU. These medical Centre’s a privately owned and students are sponsored by the SIG thus why the NTU director refused to accept medical reports done or approved by other medical practitioners working for the government like at the National Referral Hospital (NRH)?

Or are these two private clinics are more qualified than any other clinics in Honiara or are those medical practitioners working at the NRH are not qualified enough?

I am raising these sentiments since some students they don’t have enough money to meet the medical expenses charge by these two private clinics.

I am more conversant that there is a provision in our Solomon Islands constitution that we all Solomon islanders have rights and freedom.

Also there are no requirements provided in the scholarship awards that stated students to must get the medical clearance from these two clinics as recommended by the NTU director himself.

I think all the doctors or any other medical practitioner in and around Honiara have the same qualifications and students have the right to get a medical clearance from any other medical centre here in Honiara.

But, I on behalf of many of the struggling students need justification from the NTU director to explain as to why short-sightedly he have to recommend the two clinics (Honiara International Medical Centre & Island medical Care centre) for students to get there medical clearance from.

Another issue that worries us is the delay in student’s flights.

This has causes much frustration to some students since their schools already started off with lectures/classes.

It seems that the NTU director is not delegating the responsibilities to other NTU staff, like sharing of tickets to students should be done by another staff and not the director alone.

It’s also pathetic to witness the NTU director too check the students passports if the passports are valid.

It is like the director is taking over the responsibility of the immigration officers.

Therefore, we call on the NTU director to come clean and explain/justify all the demands stated above to the public.

Benzy J

Honiara