TIV calls for Parole Board to assess inmates for release or pardon

Jun 16, 2025 | News | 0

Now that the Order to commute the potential release of 70 prisoners by the Head of State has been made known to the public, Transparency International Vanuatu (TIV) wishes to congratulate President Nikenike Vurobaravu for his decision to revoke the Order.

On the same note, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TIV, Dr Willie Tokon says an important lesson to learn from the decision is to make sure that it is not repeated.

“It is also a wakeup call for the Government to ensure that a professional Parole Board is set up without delay to take over the role of making such recommendations to the Prime Minister for any inmate’s sentence revocation before he or she can be released from jail,” the CEO says.

In his opinion, the members of the Parole Board should not be appointed by politicians. It should be made up of professionals including a senior police officer, a qualified medical doctor, a lawyer and a representative of VANGO (an umbrella organisation for CSOs and NGOs, to assess the list to decide which inmates to be released.

“The decision on the names of those to be released, must be forwarded to the Head of Government and the communities of the inmates to say how they feel about returning the individuals to their communities. We need a Parole Board with integrity.”

In addition, he said those who currently advise the Head of State, must accept responsibility for degrading the Office of the Head of State because it is wrong and does not make sense and is dangerous.

“Such persons should not be allowed to advise the Head of State. If some of them have criminal records, they should be removed from their posts,” the CEO continues.

“Our elected Leaders including MPs and the Head of State must produce a medical certificate that indicate physical and mental wellbeing before being elected. Our Leaders must be fit to manage our public funds and running of our governing systems. The Office of the Head of State must have the names of all the inmates and what their crimes are in order to decide whether or not they are qualified for release.”

The CEO says what shocked the public and media organisations in the region and internationally was that some of the names belonged to murderers and rapists and other very serious crimes.

“That was why the original news of the revocation order caused an uproar because it felt wrong for the Head of State to revoke the inmates’ sentences whose crimes included murder and sex offenders,” he adds.

As a veteran medical doctor, Dr. Tokon says while he has not spoken to the Head of State lately, the fact that the Leader of Opposition is reported to have questioned his mental capacity, raises the importance to certify the same qualification for all the country’s leaders.

“We respect them but when they make such unpopular decisions then we cannot respect them and they should consider resigning from their posts,” he says.

“If need be, a panel of doctors should certify their physical and mental fitness before they can be employed because there are many qualified people in the country out there.”

To conclude, the CEO reminds the public about two recent crimes committed by two former high risk prisoners. The first one killed a young student while in the most recent case, the released inmate killed his own mother then violated her body and her brain. Both shocking cases confirm the writing is on the wall.

SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Dr Damutalau said most HPV infections clear naturally, but some remain and can increase the risk of cervical cancer. He said about 90 per cent of cervical cancers are linked to HPV, which is why vaccination and early screening are important. SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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Vanuatu’s education crisis a ‘national disaster’ – Pikinini Playtime CEO August 12, 2026
Pikinini Playtime founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Batten has described Vanuatu’s education situation as a “national disaster”, warning that poor literacy outcomes among children could affect the country’s future development. Speaking during an interview on Kava Mo Kajap, Mr. Batten said reports that around 70 per cent of children are unable to read and write at the expected level should be treated as a serious national concern. “I think it is a national disaster, like a hurricane or an earthquake,” Mr. Batten said. He said Vanuatu’s greatest resource is not its land or natural resources, but its people, and education is the foundation needed to develop that human resource. “Human resources are the number one resource for Vanuatu,” he said. Mr. Batten said countries that have successfully moved from being less developed to more advanced economies have done so by investing heavily in education and building a skilled population. However, he said Vanuatu’s current education results remain a major concern despite the country spending a significant amount of its national budget on education. “Vanuatu gives a lot of money per capita into education, but the results are still among the lowest in the Pacific,” he said. The Pikinini Playtime founder said the challenge is not only about funding but about how the education system delivers results. He questioned why many students continue to leave school without basic reading and writing skills despite years spent in classrooms. Mr. Batten said the impact of poor education outcomes can also be seen in the country’s workforce, where businesses often recruit skilled workers from overseas to fill positions. “We bring people from the Philippines and other countries to do accounting, bookkeeping, management, building and supervisory work, but many ni-Vanuatu are not able to take those opportunities because they do not have the basic education,” he said. He said the literacy issue must be addressed early because children who fail to develop strong reading skills in their early years often struggle throughout their education journey. Mr. Batten also raised concerns about the value placed on education within the system. He said teacher absenteeism, weak accountability and a lack of support for educators contribute to children losing confidence in learning. “When children see that school is not important, they begin to believe they don’t need school,” he said. Mr. Batten acknowledged that many teachers are working under difficult conditions but said the system needs stronger support, training and leadership to improve outcomes. He believes improving education requires everyone involved — government, schools, teachers, principals and parents — to work together. “Children are smart. They have the ability. But they need the right support and the right opportunities,” he said. Mr. Batten said addressing literacy must become a national priority because the future of Vanuatu depends on the quality of education provided to today’s children. SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST

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