OHA ousts Akana as chairwoman after months of turmoil
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
Rowena Akana, new chair of the board of trustees, Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
After two months of turmoil, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees today ousted Rowena Akana as chairwoman and elevated Vice Chairwoman Lei Ahu Isa to the top spot on an interim basis.
Ahu Isa joined the board minority of Robert Lindsey, Dan Ahuna, Peter Apo and Colette Machado in voting against Akana, who had narrowly took over the leadership role in December. John Waihee IV, Carmen Hulu Lindsey and Keli‘i Akina abstained, while Akana received only one vote: her own.
A new leader will be selected at the next board meeting, according to the organization’s bylaws. Ahu Isa said after the meeting that she is not interested in the permanent job.
Ahu Isa said she voted to oust Akana to bring stability to the board. She also said she objected to a complaint filed by Akana in First Circuit Court Wednesday on behalf of OHA questioning the validity of the employment contract of CEO Kamana‘opono Crabbe.
Earlier in the day, a 9 a.m. board meeting scheduled to discuss a proposed forensic, or comprehensive, audit of OHA was deferred for lack of a quorum.
At the meeting, Ahuna announced that five of the trustees were boycotting Akana as chairwoman.
“She has caused nothing but turmoil in this organization since being elected as chair,” Ahuna said. “And just within the last 48 hours she has gone on a spree personally attacking other trustees, and she unilaterally filed a lawsuit yesterday on behalf of OHA that will likely end up being found frivolous.”
The matter of the audit was rescheduled for an airing before the board’s Resource Management Committee Wednesday.
31 responses to “OHA ousts Akana as chairwoman after months of turmoil”
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IF only OHA can get their act together they might then be looked at as a legitimate group…until then….
Akana loved the power and drama but in incompetence set OHA back. I just wish that OHA could set its mind to helping real Hawaiians who could use extra help. Stop wasting money and quit the boring drama. The entire state, and especially Hawaiians, are sick of OHA.
Allie, Akaka is who called for the forensic audit. It is a tool used to develop evidence to take before a grand jury relative to indictments of wrongdoers. She didn’t cause any chaos. The chaos was the reaction to a reformer trying to get evidence together to hold wrongdoers accountable.
who is AKAKA?
Akana was the one stating that too much of OHA’s budget was being wasted on bloated salaries for OHA’s top staff and all their cronies. Sounds like the drama is over her telling the truth and shining a light on the reality of OHA.
Her surgered nose and facelift didn’t help her.
Yeah? Still waiting for the same thing from about 10,000 haole organizations too.
Couldn’t the same be said for about 10,000 individual
h a o l e
organizations too? (Had to space out the letters; first try went to the great black hole of ‘sent for moderation.’)
And we want to have our own separate government with this type of leadership. No wonder the Hawaiians are suffering. Money being spent on friends, travel and dinners.
She should have never been elected as Chair, she was like a bad flu going around and the only thing to do was find a vaccine.
“Grabs in a Bucket”! This Lady was a controlling “Micro Managing Freak” in OHA! And Braaaaah! How many Plastic Surgeries did this lady get on OHA’s Dime! Let me borrow Allie’s phrase “Scary”! Haaaaaaaaaaaa!
CEO Kamana’opono Crabbe has his own issues awarding contracts to his family members. Conflict of Interest you say ?Like “Blago”? He’s Blowing away a Golden Moment! SAD I liked him.
History will prove time and time again ,leave it up to the Hawaiians and it will all blow away in the wind! Don’t get me wrong I am also an Indigenous Hawaiian. I just want see OHA run as Honest governing body representing ALL Hawaiians. C’mon OHA ! IMUA!
“GRABS”….?
MoiLee> Then you may have to allow non-hawaiians to run OHA. As you say “time and time again, leave up to the Hawaiian and it will all blow away in the wind.” Just like Bishop Estate, same ole, same ole.
i hate it wen one needs to try and act young with the low cut blouses and wig, cmon ruwanda…….act your age……….
Also, the big earrings are a possible give-away, maybe a window to the ego?
They need to take a lesson from President Trump and Get To Work.
Huh?
They need to take a lesson from President Trump and Get To Work.
Isn’t he the one who said, “You’re fired!” Sounds like they’re following in his footsteps.
people were “FIRED” for not being able to the job…..
Yates was fired for Refusing to do her job.
I think it’s about time to do away with OHA and DHHL. Neither has been successful in their mission to serve the Hawaiian community. Frankly, both are a waste of taxpayer money which has for decades been used mainly to enrich themselves and democratic party insiders with jobs and contracts. It’s truly shameful how dysfunctional both entities have become. Unless the federal government takes back control or provides oversight, these groups will never accomplish their stated goals and purpose for existence.
Hopefully OHA can but their leadership issue to rest and focus on their mission to better the lives of Native Hawaiians.
Most of us who are Hawaiian blood don’t really take sides, but just shake our heads at this kind of incompetent leadership.
Did OHA pay for her stretch face surgeries? I think she had a lot too many!
Scary
I have yet to ever seen OHA make a fiscally responsible decision in its 39 years of life. Mostly every dollar has been squandered, frivolously spent. Nothing has been for the long term to keep a sustainable revenue stream going. Everything was spent like water with little regard for it. I have zero confidence in OHA ever truly helping the Hawaiian people. So many Hawaiian blood people suffer from all kinds of issues: excessive unemployment, poor school performance, troubled youth, high percentage with criminal records, rampant drug use.
Yet here we have OHA just splurging the OHA bucks. These are the folks who going run the Hawaiian kingdom again? I don’t see any grace, humility, or leadership from any individual running OHA. I wish a wise leader would emerge and unite the people. However, it does not appear that this will ever happen. This is really sad.
It’s a sad commentary that a lot of the OHA Trustees have learned the ways of the missionaries and how “to take” for “their” own personal benefit. AUWE!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
huh? You need to read actual history hon.
How will this play out in OHA’s monthly newspaper?
Kamana’opono!!!!!