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Governor once again tells director-appointees no travel off-island until confirmed

fili@samoanews.com
It appears that this admonition has fallen on deaf ears…”

Through a memo issued last Friday, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga reaffirmed his verbal orders for director-appointees not to travel off island until after their confirmation process. He also directed that cabinet members absent from work for personal reasons or unofficial off island travel require prior approval.

During the administration’s first cabinet meeting of the year held two weeks ago, the governor reminded directors of the confirmation process, which started last week, and to be prepared for it and available when called by the Fono.

And the governor has informed Fono leaders that his director-appointees would be available for their confirmation hearings, and instructions had been given to them to remain on island.

However, the governor’s memo dated Feb. 3, last Friday, under the subject, “Approval of Absence” to directors indicates there are those seeking off island travel.

According to the governor, many directors [appointees] have submitted travel requests for off island meetings and yet oral instructions were issued precluding travel “until your confirmation process is completed.”

“It appears that this admonition has fallen on deaf ears thus prompting” the issuance of last Friday’s memo, the governor said, and addressed in the same memo the issue of directors absent from their jobs.

“Absence from your post beyond one day, unless you are ill, will require prior approval before your post is vacated for personal fa’alavelave or unofficial off-island travel,” he wrote to cabinet director-appointees, adding that “travel policy has already been articulated to personal transmittal and discussion of [travel authorization] for consideration and my approval.”

“If you travel on your own, permission is still required and annual leave must be approved,” by him or Lt. Gov. Lemanu Palepoi Mauga before the leave is taken, the governor said. Additionally, sick leave is required when absence exceeds three days with a note from the director’s physician “verifying your illness.”

He reminded the directors, who are subject to Fono confirmation that, “official and non-official travel is not authorized until your confirmation process is completed.”

“Unless there are compelling reasons necessitating your travel, the resulting consequences of not honoring the confirmation schedule set by the Legislature will be borne by you,” he told director-appointees.

Additionally, “official off-island travel must be necessary with clear programmatic and financial gains consequential to the executed travel.”

He concluded by telling director-appointees,  “Your presence at your post to advance the vision of our administration is paramount.”

Lolo has already sent a request to the Fono to expedite the confirmation process for eight director-appointees who will be traveling with him for meetings in Washington D.C. The governor is scheduled to leave on Feb. 10 — this Friday.

Of the eight director-appointees, five of them have been officially confirmed by the Fono, while the other three are expected to be complete by this Friday. In the past years, during the confirmation process some director-appointees were not on island resulting in complaints from lawmakers.