Keli‘i Akina Announces Re-Election Campaign for Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA)

OHA Needs a Watchdog to Fight for Hawaiians and Hawai‘i

News Release from Akina for OHA, February 27, 2020

Honolulu—Keli‘i Akina filed his nomination papers today for re-election as OHA Trustee At-Large. 

“OHA needs a watchdog,” said Akina. “In my first term I helped bring new accountability and transparency to OHA. Now we need to keep fighting to ensure that OHA properly serves the needs of Hawaiians.”

When Akina took office in 2017, OHA was at all-time lows in credibility and reputation. As an early action, Akina persuaded the OHA Trustees to unanimously approve and fund an independent audit that ultimately identified millions in potentially fraudulent, wasteful or abusive spending. Akina advocated for new financial policies to prevent the permanent depletion of the Native Hawaiian Trust Fund and stopped OHA from pursuing failed political schemes.

“We need to use OHA funding to meet the real needs of Hawaiians and Hawai‘i for housing, jobs, education and healthcare,” said Akina. “It’s time to stop dividing our people and start uniting Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians for a better Hawai‘i.”

Trustee Akina will continue his proven three-point plan to 1) Protect the Trust through accountability and transparency, audits, and creation of new fiscal governing policies; 2) Grow the Trust by developing OHA Properties, such as Kaka‘ako, Makai, and Iwilei; and 3) Use the Trust to make real improvements in the lives of Native Hawaiians.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is the constitutionally-established government agency responsible for bettering the conditions of Hawaiians. Its funding sources include public tax dollars, commercial activity and revenue generated from the “ceded lands” now held in public trust by the State of Hawai’i.

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