WILMER JOEL
President David Kabua and First Lady Ginger Kabua were welcomed island-style this past Sunday in the first-ever official visit by a President of the Marshall Islands to Ejit Island.
They were both joined by Minister of Justice, Immigration, and Labor Kessai Note and his wife Mary, and Nitijela Vice-Speaker Peterson Jibas who arrived from RRE Shoreline at Ejit on Ben Reimer’s XXXX boat.
The arrival of the President, as well as government dignitaries, was well received by the people of Ejit.
Following the warm welcoming, they were all escorted to the island’s Protestant Church to start off the Gospel Sunday program in honor of Gospel Day led by Reverend Tim Mea.
“When I took the oath as President,” said President Kabua to the congregation, “I put nuclear legacy as one of the top priorities of my administration.” He added, “the nuclear legacy must be settled and dealt with in the upcoming negotiation with America.”
President Kabua elaborated that getting America to agree to clean the homeland of the Bikinians as well as other contaminated islands is a must to ensure the safety and survival of the next generation.
After the conclusion of the church service, everyone in the congregation then went to get refreshments courtesy of Kili-Bikini-Ejit Local Government as well as the Protestant Church. First lady Ginger Kabua and Mary Note did the cake cutting to finish off the event.
Vice Speaker Jibas told the Journal that this was the first time for an RMI President to visit Ejit Island.