The President of the Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu college ex-students in New Zealand said lack of patience and understanding had marred the good work they did using money they raised in December.
The money was raised during a tour of New Zealand by the college’s brass band. They raised more than NZ$600,000.
The fund raising tour was marked by tragedy when three people died and 52 others were hospitalised when the tour bus crashed.
One of the survivors had a leg amputated and now uses an artificial limb.
An e-mail from the Chair of the Vava’u Free Wesleyan Church District Advisory committee told the former students in New Zealand the college had been trying to get their share of the money raised since they returned to Tonga, but to no avail.
The church owns the college.
The committee said it needed the money to prepare for the college’s 70th anniversary in June.
However, because the committee had not been able to obtain its share of the money, the committee had agreed to tell the New Zealand alumni to keep the money as they no longer wanted it.
It is understood the letter was circulated in an e-mail to some of the ex-students in New Zealand including some Tongan church leaders.
The Principal of the college, Liuaki Fungalei, told Kakalu ‘o Tonga newspaper the New Zealand fundraising raised NZ$654, 775.
He said that according to their agreement NZ$200,000 was to be deducted from the money raised and donated to the New Zealand alumni.
It was intended the money would be handed over by the New Zealand chapter to the college as their contribution during the celebration of the 70th anniversary, he said.
The balance would then be divided in half and be used to buy items for the college.
The balance had to be forwarded in cash to Tonga for the college.
Fungalei claimed that since the college’s brass band returned they had not received the college’s share and attempts to obtain a financial statement had been unsuccessful.
Response:
When Kaniva News contacted the president of the Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu college ex-students in New Zealand Rev. Mele Suipi Latu last night she was unhappy to find out that we were enquiring about the fundraising and the letter from Vava’u.
She asked us why we were trying to tell the public about an in-house issue.
The editor of Kaniva News told her it was because they invited the public to help them in their fundraising. When there was an issue about that fundraising it was our responsibility as media to investigate and report it back to the public.
Rev. Latu said she understood, but would not go into details.
She said she had the financial statement and a report ready to be sent to Tonga this week.
She said everything was in order and all monies were accounted for.
Rev. Latu said they had bought brass band instruments for the college and sent them to Tonga.
She said some people had “lack of patience and understanding.”
She said she would send the report to Vava’u and leave it for them to make their own decision.
In a letter released by Rev. Latu to the New Zealand alumni on 12 December 2016 in her capacity as president of the New Zealand alumni, she said:
“’Oku i heni ‘ae ki’i fanau Ifi mei he Kolisi Mailefihi/Siu’ilikutapu i Nu’usila ni ke fai ha feohi moe kautaha Ako Tutuku pea mo tatanaki ai pe ‘etau lukuluku (pa’anga uakilu) ki he teu fakamanatu ‘oe ta’u 70 ‘oe Kolisi he 2017. Ko hono melenga ‘oe tatanaki koi ia ‘e fakapulupulu ‘aki ia ‘ae ako lolotonga”.
Translated: “The brass band students from Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu college are here in New Zealand to socialise with the Ex-students association and to collect our contribution ($200,000 pa’anga) for the 70th anniversary of the college in 2017. The balance after the collection of our contribution will be given to the college.”
The Secretary of the Free Wesleyan Church in Tonga Rev. Dr Tevita Havea said he regretted what had happened.
He told Kaniva News whatever the Advisory Committee for the Vava’u district church had decided it was a final decision because the Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu alumni came under the committee.
He said the Vava’u and New Zealand alumni should have continued working together as they did at the beginning.
The main points
- The President of the Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu college ex-students in New Zealand said lack of patience and understanding had marred the good work they did using money they raised in December.
- She was responding to a letter from the Chair of the Vava’u Free Wesleyan Church District Advisory committee complaining that they had been unable to obtain their share of the money.
- The school’s brass band raised $600,000 during a tour of New Zealand.
- The committee said because it had not received its share of the money, it had decided to tell the New Zealand alumni to keep the money as they no longer wanted it.
