It was a bold decision and Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa needed to make it. It is not easy to ask the ruling party's chairman to step down, but this had to be done for good governance, accountability and transparency.

On the day, Minister for Agriculture Laauli Leuatea Schmidt was charged with 10 counts, he held a press conference stating that he would not step down because, unlike the last incident he stepped down he was charged with only 10 and not more than 300 counts.

It is always best practice to step down when such things happen. If the minister is convinced that the charges will not stick in court, then there should be no reason for him to step down and let the courts have a quick trial.

Prime Minister has been quiet on the public scene for a long time. Putting her foot down and asking the minister to step down while the court deals with the matter is a good decision. She also needs to address this issue publicly.

There is also a need for the leader of the nation to address other issues and make public statements about them. She needs to keep her minister in check who claimed that the Faleolo International Airport was his and also make a statement regarding the VIP Terminal saga.

She is the leader of the nation and she needs to set the record straight with his ministers who seem to be acting rogue. This is what the nation wants to see from their leader. They want to see the prime minister have control of her government and as the leader of the nation ensure that her ministers do not overstep their boundaries.

We applaud the bold step taken by Fiame and hopefully, she will follow through with her decision as she is constitutionally empowered to do.

Laauli is a senior political figure and revered by many. He has supporters who are not only willing to spend money for him but follow him blindly. He is someone who has a lot of power. He is a leader and he should be using that influence to ensure that there is peace and calm in the country.

By stepping down he will show humility and his willingness to be transparent and accountable to the people of this country. These are qualities that people admire.

In a Facebook post, the minister claimed that Samoa Observer had made him look like a villain. That is not the case.

Laauli is a public figure. Any person who enters into politics and wields considerable power is a public figure. Any public office holder is answerable for his actions. Laauli is considered a top political figure and if his actions have breached the law, this newspaper will continue to highlight it. We will do so by reporting the facts.

The Samoa Observer has done this in the past for many political and public figures. We will continue to do so. We report without political bias when highlighting issues surrounding ministers and giving everyone equal treatment.

The minister surely remembers that the Samoa Observer highlighted his campaign when he formed his political party to the extent the newspaper went to his constituency. Minister, you hold a public office and as watchdogs, we must hold you accountable.

We ensure that you answer to the people who matter the most, the public.