Just like that another year has whiffed past us. The Earth has made a full revolution around the sun on its tilted axis and we brace ourselves for the New Year, 2024.

As tradition has been, many will be taking stock of what has been achieved, where things have gone wrong, and what made us proud, happy, sad, and or angry.

We mark the start of a new year by observing old traditions and also creating new ones (or at least hoping to do so) that make our lives better or easier: being a better friend, volunteering for a charitable cause, practicing patience or, perhaps, finally starting that new project.

2023 started on a high, the nation was in a frenzy after the performance of Toa Samoa in the Rugby League World Cup. There was a slight hangover from that moment that was carried into 2023 as the players were in the country.

The year has had its fair share of events that have made news not only here but also internationally. The infamous pleasure boat called the Kite Runner, the cabinet minister who detained a journalist, another who was linked to Chinese flights and local tours, then there were some involved in the set up of Chinese companies which seemed too good to be true to be legitimate companies, and there was a member of parliament who flew out of the country violating immigration laws.

Things took an interesting turn when a man turned up out of the blue and claimed to have seen a hit-and-run accident in 2021. This escalated when this man gave interviews to foreign media about wrongful claims of who he saw was involved and of an alleged assassination plot. This incident gave us a perspective on how people would believe lies on social media rather than reliable news sources.

Lately, the situation has been tense between Afega and the villages of Leauvaa and Levi Saleimoa over land that rightfully according to the law belongs to Afega. The tension continues over the holidays and the probability of forced evictions looks more possible.

The Samoa Police were kept busy this year. There was a notable increase in methamphetamine or ‘aisa’ related cases. Police did good work in nabbing people who have been distributing the narcotic to people in Samoa. In a meth-related incident, a man was killed as he was allegedly shot point blank.

This has also been the year for brawls, not only between schools. Who can forget the involvement of Laulii youths as they exerted revenge for a beating of one of their kinsmen at Motootua. Bus stations and public spots were turned into battlefields and timely intervention by police in a more traditional approach led to the solution of this problem.

The Samoa Observer highlighted all these issues and more. The plight of the families at Tiapapata who are yet to receive clean drinking water was brought to the public and the people responsible.  The increasing cost of living and the power bills were also under the spotlight.

This was also the year where we learned that people would rather make videos of accidents and violent events as opposed to helping them.

On the sporting front, the Manu Samoa had a poor outing at the Rugby World Cup and the sevens team qualified to the Olympic Games. As usual, our weightlifters have had an exceptional year and as did most of the sports teams at the Pacific Games. Most sporting bodies were able to host tournaments after a hiatus of two years brought about by the lockdowns.

As we look forward to the New Year, here are perhaps some of the resolutions that could be adopted by politicians, public figures, sports people and everyday Samoans.

There is renewed hope in the people that the political leaders will finally become more transparent and accountable to the people they serve. The nation needs our leaders to have these qualities as they move forward in fulfilling the promises they have made. They have to serve the people and not themselves. The same goes for all Government departments and state-owned enterprises.

There also needs to be more engagement with the media. As Samoa Observer has done for the last 45 years, we will praise the good and point out the bad.

It is an important year as we get ready to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Hopefully, this is a success.

As we await the dawn of 2024, the Samoa Observer would like to wish church leaders from all denominations, the Head of State His Highness Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II and Masiofo, the Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese, Speaker of the House Papalii Taeu Masipau, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa and her cabinet, all members of parliament, heads of government departments, the diplomatic corp and all the people of Samoa, a very happy and prosperous New Year.