By Hand-Out

Copyright dailypost

The Nakamal Agreement & Australia’s Visit

Harry Attison: I saw that the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, was in town before he left for the Solomon Islands. Can you explain the Nakamal Agreement?

Mavuku Tokona: Sure. Albanese came specifically to push the Nakamal Agreement “over the line.” To use a rugby analogy—they were at the five-meter line, and Albanese came to score the try by signing it.

The figure being mentioned is $500 million, but it’s unclear whether:

It’s a new agreement with fresh funding, orA total sum of past support, simply re-announced.

We’ve asked government for clarification, but there’s still ambiguity.

Harry: So we don’t know if it’s genuinely new money.

Mavuku: Exactly. PM Jotham Napat has expressed concerns, and Australian media are speculating it could strain relations with China—but that’s just assumption. No facts yet.

Politics & the MP Sentencing

Harry: Now to another big story: the sentencing of an MP.

Mavuku: Yes, after almost 10 years, we finally have an MP serving actual prison time—not just suspended sentences.

Harry: He’s still an MP, still drawing a salary, but his bail application was denied. He begins his two-and-a-half-year sentence today, and will wait for his appeal in jail.

Mavuku: This is a turning point. For 10 years, no MP has gone to prison—only suspended sentences. It shows the judicial system is working, and that no one is above the law. I’m impressed with our public prosecution team and hope that they keep up the good work!

Harry: Exactly. This should serve as a warning to all MPs: if you’ve done something wrong, it can come back to you. The myth that MPs are untouchable is gone. Like Hilaire Bule said last week, this is the year for MPs in court.

Teachers’ Strike & Education Crisis

Harry: Another story—teachers on strike, some schools closed because teachers didn’t show up.

Mavuku: Parents should be asking: if classes are inconsistent, do we still pay school fees? Some say move your kids to private schools for better reliability, though it’s more expensive.

Harry: TSC gave a seven-day warning to teachers to return. But both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal have already ruled that the strike is legal.

Mavuku: The bigger issue is the impact on students: national exams, school activities, and their overall future. During COVID-19, parents struggled with home packages. Now, parents are at work—kids are left on their own because there are no teachers in a number of public schools.

Harry: Education is the foundation of the nation. Teachers are important, but the strike is hurting children the most. This needs urgent resolution.

Sports – Athletics & the 2.3 Million Vatu Machine

Harry: Athletics Vanuatu is fundraising to buy a resistance sprint machine worth over 2.3 million vatu.

Mavuku: Honestly, that’s a questionable decision. Instead of one expensive machine, the money could be spent on shoes, coaching, or grassroots training. Fiji’s rugby teams train with simple methods—sand dunes, parachutes, weights, why are we going out of our way to purchase a single machine worth over VT2M?

This is a huge waste of resources for athletics, they should start with the basics before working up to something like the 1080 Sprint resistance device.

Harry: If the machine will also be used by footballers, rugby players, and others, maybe it makes sense. But it’s still a lot of money for one piece of equipment.

Mavuku: It feels like they skipped the basics and jumped straight to high-tech solutions. Enthusiasm is good, but practicality matters more. Athletics are hardly ever active, all of sudden they’re starting a GoFundMefor a single device, meanwhile most runners don’t have spikes. I reckon it’s a bad investment choice.

Sports Governance & Sponsorship

Mavuku: Trevor Toka, CEO of the National Sports Company, has been discussing the differences between sports associations. PVFA seems years ahead of others.

Harry: Yes, but many associations still rely too much on FIFA money or government funding. They should also build relationships with businesses. Sponsorship is about networking—it’s not always about formal proposals, but trust, conversations, even something as simple as sharing a coffee.

That’s a valuable lesson for all sports bodies. Don’t ask for a million straight away—start small, build trust, and grow.

Mavuku: I see a lot of negative comments about you, but I believe you’re the best person to explain the formula for success. You’re singing the gospel for every MA, and now you’ve actually diversified, and you’re helping other disciplines. So it depends. Do they want to listen to it? You’ve got a very seasoned career, within FIFA, within VFF, within PVFA.

So what you’re saying is actually valuable. How do you feel, after everything you’ve done, all the sacrifices you’ve made, PVFA, after some believe that your success is only because you’re in the capital?

Harry: In the next three years, when I finish, with the statue for PVFA you can only stay for two terms, already one term finished, now it’s another three years, when I finish then someone else comes, and we can see how they do.

Now, nobody is building relationships. No one is building. That’s why you’re facing plenty of hard times.

Plenty, plenty of hard times. But anyway, this is sport, and I want to encourage the member associations, not just football, athletics as well, don’t ask for one million Vatu, ask for VT50,000. You multiply it by 10 shops, you get the money you want.