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Ezekiel AlebuaSolomon Islands politician
Date of Birth: 01.01.1947
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Content:
- Solomon Islands Statesman
- Provincial Leadership and Compensation Demands
- Government Response and Attempted Assassination
- Resignation, Arrest, and Conviction
Solomon Islands Statesman
Early Career and PremiershipFrancis Billy Hilly (also known as Ugi) was a prominent Solomon Islands politician who served as the country's Prime Minister. He initially held the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1981 to 1982. On December 1, 1986, Hilly became Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, a role he held until March 28, 1989.
Provincial Leadership and Compensation Demands
In April 1998, Hilly was elected as Premier of Guadalcanal Province. Amidst separatist movements in the province, he made significant demands in December 1998. He called for the government to pay Guadalcanal SI$ 2.5 million in compensation for the unprovoked killing of 25 of its residents. Additionally, he demanded an annual per-capita payment of SI$ 50 from the national government for housing the capital, Honiara, in the province (approximately SI$ 20 million per year). Hilly also advocated for the prohibition of land ownership in Guadalcanal by non-provincials.
Government Response and Attempted Assassination
Hilly's demands sparked a backlash from leaders and residents of other provinces, particularly Malaita. The Premier of Malaita called for the relocation of the capital from Honiara, leaving the city as the country's business hub. In response, the government allocated SI$ 500,000 to the Guadalcanal Provincial Assembly in May 1999, hoping to facilitate peace in the province, which was embroiled in a civil war fueled by inter-ethnic conflict.
On June 1, 2001, Hilly was seriously injured in an assassination attempt by a member of the Guadalcanal rebel group Weathercoast, which had refused to sign the peace agreement ending the two-year ethnic conflict between Guadalcanal and Malaita. The rebel group claimed the attack was retaliation for a police operation against Weathercoast.
Resignation, Arrest, and Conviction
Hilly resigned as Premier in 2003. On August 3, 2005, he was arrested on charges of misappropriating SI$ 302,000 from funds intended for compensation to families of the 25 people killed during the Guadalcanal ethnic conflict. On July 5, 2007, Hilly was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.
