There’s been no official announcement from the Governor’s Office but residents of the hillside area of Pago Pago known as Happy Valley or Siautapini have seen the Governor a few times recently on land that is rumored to be the new location of the Territorial Correctional Facility.
The large acreage belongs to the Mageo family, whosevsa’o is Rev Patolo Magea, a member of Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga’s staff.
When it was first made known that the TCF was going to be relocated from Tafuna, we have asked where the facility will be relocated to, but there hasn’t been any response.
Family members living in the Siautapini area have reported seeing ASG vehicles going ho to the site and they have also heard talk that the Governor was considering building a new TCF on their hillside acreage,
KHJ News has been informed that some members of the Mageo family have circulated a petition among themselves to request the Governor not to go ahead with such a plan.
A family member said their families have lived in the area for generations and the communal living will be disturbed if a prison is built there.
The group does not represent nor speak on behalf of the entire Mageo clan, but are taken up their right afforded in the First Amendment of the US Constitution to petition the Governor and ASG to reconsider building a prison in Happy Valley.
According to the family member, “Although the Mageo family owns the land, the village council, the people of Pago Pago, and perhaps the Ma’oputasi district should have a say in this matter.”
He pointed out, “The Mageo family is part of a community—it’s part of the ‘Afioaga o le Maoputasi;’ and an imposing project as such may not sit well with the village.
“To ignore the village’s collective faautautaga (wisdom) may be a sign of disrespect according to the Samoan culture.”
Another concern is the environmental impact of a major construction project on the hillside of Pago Pago.
The family member asked, “Has ASG assessed the impact of the project on indigenous species and forestry, and issues such as landslides and soil erosion?”
He believes EPA and other government agencies must look into this project to make sure local and federal laws protecting the environment are enforced.
The group is also writing a letter to the Pago Pago Village Council to rally its support.
KHJ News has sent questions about the TCF relocation plans to the Governor’s Office.
