The crazy thing about it is that despite the fact that most people did not think that the noni project was a good idea, many still voted for leadership whose platform included the launching of the noni project. The idea was to plant noni everywhere possible, purchase machinery to cultivate & harvest the noni and sell it worldwide.
Fact: Two supporting arguments were made: a) we need to look for other ways of generating revenue and b) the municipality already had community workers that could be used for the project.
Fact: Thousands of trees were planted around the village; over a thousand of man power hours was utilized in the planting of the noni; hundreds of gallons of gas was burnt to run around the island planting the noni; hundreds of gallons of water was poured to water the plant; and who knows whatever funds were miscellaneously spent for whatever purposes directly or indirectly related to this project.
Fact: Thousands and thousands of municipal funds has been used for the noni project only to be abandoned.
Ask yourself, what happened to the noni? Ask yourself, why isn’t it bringing the extra revenue that it promised? Ask yourself, where are the jobs, programs and services that the noni was meant to bring or support? Ask yourself, where else could we have used that money? Ask yourself, why we have noni processing machines that have not been used? Ask yourself, why am I wondering if I’m going to get paid this payday?
Your kid could have gotten more scholarship. The municipality could have afforded to send you to get that medical procedure done. NMC and PSS could have gotten supplemental funding. The Tinian Youth Center could have gotten more money for programs. The list can go on.
No Noni. No Juice. Yes they did!
Are you ready for Change?
JUANIS KING JR.
Marpo Heights II, Tinian
