Jesse Salalu
Jesse John Salalu | |
---|---|
8th Governor of Yap | |
Assumed office December 29, 2022 | |
Lieutenant Governor | Vacant |
Preceded by | Henry Falan |
Lieutenant Governor of Yap | |
In office January 14, 2014 – December 29, 2022 | |
Preceded by | James Yangetmai |
Personal details | |
Born | Fais |
Spouse | Titaw Rosa |
Alma mater | University of Guam (BA, MEd)[1] |
Jesse John Salalu is a Micronesian politician who is serving as the eighth and current Governor of Yap since December 29, 2021.[2] Salalu was sworn into office following Henry Falan being ousted by the Yap legislature.[2][3] He previously served as lieutenant Governor of Yap under Falan from January 2019 to December 2021. He is the first Governor of Yap to be born on the outer islands, which means his lieutenant governor must be someone born on the main island of Yap.[2]
Prior to running for public office, Salalu served as a teacher, high school principal, and regional administrator for the Neighboring Islands at the Yap State Department of Education.[4] Salalu serves on the College of Micronesia Board of Regents, where he is the vice-chairman.[5]
2018 gubernatorial election
In 2018, Jesse J. Salalu ran for Lieutenant Governor alongside Henry Falan running for governor. They won against the incumbent Governor Tony Ganngiyan and Lieutenant Governor Francis I. Itimai with 51.7% of the vote.[6]
Controversies
On 21 March 2022, 40 doctors and nurses resigned from the state hospital after Salalu's administration refused to listen to requests to raise wages.[7] Prior to the resignation, members of the Yap medical community sent a request to the Office of the Governor for an opportunity to voice their grievances regarding their working conditions at the Yap Memorial Hospital in Colonia.
Their grievances include: understaffing, low salaries, which led to an inability to keep qualified doctors, temporary contracts setup by the Falan government expiring, and the Yap legislature not approving the JEMCO (US-FSM Joint Economic Management Committee) grant that was meant for wage increases for those working at the hospital.[8]
After Salalu declined to meet with the doctors and nurses, they turned in their letters of resignation to the Office on 29 March. On 31 March, Salalu subsequently declared a state of emergency.[7]
References
- ^ "Board of Regents | College of Micronesia - FSM". www.comfsm.fm. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
- ^ a b c Variety, Joyce McClure-For. "Salalu sworn in as Yap's new governor". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
- ^ Variety, Joyce McClure-For. "Salalu to be sworn in Yap's new governor following Falan's ouster". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
- ^ "Education Strategic Plan, 2007-12". Pacific Archive of Digital Data for Learning and Education (PADDLE). Yap State Department of Education. Sep 2007. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ "Board of Regents". College of Micronesia FSM. COM FSM. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ McClure, By Joyce (2018-11-29). "Yap election results certified". pactimes. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
- ^ a b McClure, Joyce (2022-04-02). "Yap doctors, nurses resign en masse; governor declares emergency". pactimes. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ McClure, Joyce (April 4, 2022). "Yap doctors, nurses resign en masse – governor declares emergency". Asia Pacific Report. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
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