The hostile treatment of journalists by those who believe they are the authority has been uncalled for. In particular, the hostile responses from the Samoa National Provident Fund chairman, Papalii Panoa Moala.

On the last two occasions, he was contacted for comments on matters that were not controversial. One dealt with the possibility of the revival of a casino at the Sheraton Mulifanua Beach Resort and the other was the abandoned Le Penina Golf Clubhouse. On both occasions, the SNPF chairman had been hostile and rude. A behaviour very unbecoming of a professional and someone who sits on boards that are answerable to the public.

On the first occasion, Papalii told the journalist, “You have no respect to talk to me on the phone,” he said, before accusing the journalist of unprofessionalism. “Don’t ring me if you don’t know how you do your job.” When asked if he had an email for follow-up questions, Papali’i refused to engage further. “I am not your employee, okay? Be respectful and do your proper job,” he said before ending the call.

On Monday when Papalii was again called and asked about the abandoned Le Penina Clubhouse, he said, “I told you not to ring me again — don’t ring me again. I am not your employee. I will not answer your questions. I am not going to answer your questions — you shut up!” said Papali’i.

Later in the evening, he responded via email. “Sorry, I cannot answer your questions. The property you're questioning belongs to a private company. These are not publicly owned assets. I'm sorry I can't disclose any information as they belong to private ownership,” he said. Papalii has had a habit of brushing off journalists. He has made a point of being rude on the phone when questioned. This was the type of behaviour that led to the Ministry of Finance investigating him for complaints made against him by the senior management of SNPF. This led to a warning from Prime Minister Naomi Mataafa to Papalii.

This is a similar authoritarian style Papalii displayed during the Sheraton Resort board meeting when he gave another board member, John Flannery, the marching orders. When will such behaviour stop? Papalii needs to realise that he is still answerable to the people of this nation and to the people whose money funds the SNPF. There is a need for him to change his approach to the media. If he does not wish to comment, he can politely decline by saying no comments.

There is also concern that the Journalist Association of Samoa (JAWS) has done very little to make a statement regarding the behaviour of Papalii. They should be protecting journalists by condoning such responses. If people in authority can speak to one journalist in that manner or lock up one in their office, it could happen to any journalist on the job.

People who work in government offices or even state-owned enterprises are accountable to the people of this country. As the media, it is our role to hold these people accountable. The Ministry of Public Enterprises appoints the board members to bodies that represent the interests of the people of this nation. Hopefully, there are rules and guidelines on the behaviour expected from people who are bureaucrats and sit on boards. The MPE needs to have key performance indicators that gauge the performance and accountability of people serving on the various boards.

The reluctance of the government and publicly-owned entities to explain themselves to the public also shows a lack of transparency. This is a concern because, over the last few years, the government has become less transparent than ever before.

This is a worrying trend because now the government and such bureaucrats feel that they are not accountable to the people of this country. The attitude is becoming more dictatorial and less democratic. People still are not being told how the millions are being used.

Accountability and transparency are two important elements of good governance. Transparency is a powerful force that, when consistently applied, can help fight corruption, improve governance and promote accountability.

Accountability and transparency encompass many of the same actions, and these actions have to be employed by the government. Everyone, especially elected officials and civil servants, needs to be held accountable for their actions when it comes to public funds and all those things that have public interest.