Jesse Salalu
{{Short description|Micronesian politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| office = Governor of Yap
| order = 8th
| name = Jesse John Salalu
| image =
| lieutenant_governor = Vacant
| termstart = 29 December 2021
| termend = 9 January 2023
| predecessor = Henry Falan
| successor = Charles Chieng
| office2 = Lieutenant Governor of Yap
| termstart2 = 14 January 2014
| termend2 = 29 December 2021
| birth_place = Fais Island
| preceded2 = James Yangetmai
| alma_mater = University of Guam (BA, MEd){{Cite web |title=Board of Regents {{!}} College of Micronesia - FSM |url=http://www.comfsm.fm/?q=node/141 |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=www.comfsm.fm}}
| spouse = Rosa Halchiyey
}}
Jesse John Salalu is a Micronesian politician who served as the eighth Governor of Yap from December 29, 2021 to January 9, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Variety |first=Joyce McClure-For |title=Salalu sworn in as Yap's new governor |url=https://www.mvariety.com/news/salalu-sworn-in-as-yaps-new-governor/article_8c40949e-6e17-11ec-b8ba-7b4bf6bebe18.html |access-date=2022-03-02 |website=Marianas Variety News & Views |date=6 January 2022 |language=en}} Salalu was sworn into office following Henry Falan being ousted by the Yap legislature.{{Cite web |last=Variety |first=Joyce McClure-For |title=Salalu to be sworn in Yap's new governor following Falan's ouster |url=https://www.mvariety.com/news/salalu-to-be-sworn-in-yap-s-new-governor-following-falans-ouster/article_b7f2bdf8-646f-11ec-98aa-4b6a06b27b87.html |access-date=2022-03-02 |website=Marianas Variety News & Views |date=24 December 2021 |language=en}} He previously served as lieutenant Governor of Yap under Falan from January 2019 to December 2021. He was the first Governor of Yap to be born on the outer islands, which meant his lieutenant governor had to have been born on the main island of Yap.
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.{{cite web |title=Education Strategic Plan, 2007-12 |url=http://www.paddle.usp.ac.fj/cgi-bin/paddle?e=d-010off-paddle--00-1--0---0-10-TX--4-------0-11l--11-en-50---20-home---00-3-1-000--0-0-11-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&d=yap001&gg=1 |website=Pacific Archive of Digital Data for Learning and Education (PADDLE) |publisher=Yap State Department of Education |access-date=6 April 2022 |date=Sep 2007}} Salalu serves on the College of Micronesia Board of Regents, where he is the vice-chairman.{{cite web |title=Board of Regents |url=http://www.comfsm.fm/?q=node/141 |website=College of Micronesia FSM |publisher=COM FSM |access-date=6 April 2022}}
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.{{Cite web |last=McClure |first=Joyce |date=2018-11-29 |title=Yap election results certified |url=https://www.pacificislandtimes.com/post/2018/11/29/yap-election-results-certified |access-date=2022-03-02 |website=pactimes |language=en}}
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. 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.{{Cite web |last=McClure |first=Joyce |date=April 4, 2022 |title=Yap doctors, nurses resign en masse – governor declares emergency |url=https://asiapacificreport.nz/2022/04/04/yap-doctors-nurses-resign-en-masse-governor-declares-emergency/ |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=Asia Pacific Report |language=en-US}}
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.{{Cite web |last=McClure |first=Joyce |date=2022-04-02 |title=Yap doctors, nurses resign en masse; governor declares emergency |url=https://www.pacificislandtimes.com/post/yap-doctors-nurses-resign-en-masse-governor-declares-emergency |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=pactimes |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Governors of Yap}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salalu, Jesse}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Lieutenant governors of states of the Federated States of Micronesia
Category:University of Guam alumni
Category:People from Yap State
Category:21st-century politicians
{{Micronesia-bio-stub}}