Basil indecisive

 Letters to The Editor in The National, Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Bulolo MP Sam Basil has allowed himself to be seen as incapable of resolving the ethnic problem affecting his electorate.
He has seen it fit to shift the blame.
This is a real test of his leadership.
He has not condemned the actions of his people when they raided homes belonging to the Sepiks.
He has failed to address the problem head-on.
He made a wrong judgment and has now set a frightening precedence.
PNG is facing mammoth development challenges and the last thing we need is to create more problems for ourselves. – Real nationalist, Port Moresby

Some thoughts on recovering stolen money

BY PAUL OATES

 

ADDRESSING THE annual conference of the Institute of Internal Auditors in Port Moresby last Friday, PNG Ombudsman John Nero raised the prospect of recovering misappropriated funds.

Mr Nero said leadership tribunals should be empowered to order their restitution.

"As it is, a leader can steal millions of kina and is not be obligated to pay back even though found guilty by the tribunal," he told the conference.

"The public prosecutor, in consultation with the police, (needs to) invoke certain provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act where a guilty verdict is recorded to commence recovery of stolen assets in-country or abroad.

Mr Nero went on to say there was a need for permanent leadership tribunals whose membership could comprise retired judges and magistrates, accountants, lawyers, engineers, business people and the clergy, so members could be drawn at short notice.

This would obviate the strain on judicial and magisterial services in terms of cost and stress on court programs.

He said the chief justice, in consultation with the chief magistrate, should appoint a leadership tribunal within 30 days of receiving a request from the public prosecutor.

Earlier this year the government of the Maldives Republic faced a similar problem of recovering misappropriated government funds that the former Maldives president (who himself had taken over from a kleptomaniac) had reportedly used for personal enrichment.

The previous president, Mr Gayoom, who had held power for 30 years, has now had his extravagant life style audited.

The audit report said in part: "An estimated $9.5 million was spent buying and delivering a luxury yacht from Germany for the president; $17 million was spent on renovations of the presidential palace and family houses. Mr Gayoom built a saltwater swimming pool, a badminton court and a gymnasium, and he bought 11 speed boats and at least 55 cars - including the country's only Mercedes-Benz."

The new Maldives government has asked the World Bank and the UN to help in recovering the funds, said to amount to $US 400 million.

In PNG's case, misappropriated funds recovered could be available for health, education, law and order or any one of a number of areas that desperately need assistance.

An effective audit of trust funds would be an excellent place to start. Bulolo MP Sam Basil recently highlighted the operations of government trust funds as an area needing to be audited and tightened up.

I wonder what might be revealed by an effective audit of government expenditure. Surely those charged with safeguarding PNG's public monies must urgently give thought to Mr Basil's and Mr Nero's suggestions. Who knows, perhaps the PNG Chief Justice, if he were to be sent a copy of this article, might consider these suggestions as a practical way forward? Just the thought that audits will definitely be initiated on Trust funds and those who have been guilty of misappropriation will have to repay the monies and be charged might stop or least slow down the currently reported haemorrhaging. Positive action must start somewhere.

Prime Minister's Covenant

Technical school contributes to building up Bulolo

Bulolo Technical School manager Berom Yawal

A final school fee cheque of K80, 000 was recently released to Bulolo Technical School to complete a total of K126, 000 for the district’s capacity building programme funded by Bulolo District Joint District Planning and Budget Priorities Committee.

Currently the education reform has changed the status of all vocational schools into technical schools, with Bulolo Vocational now known as Bulolo Technical School.

This year BTS has enrolled 290 students into various trades such as:

a) Tourism and hospitality;

b) Carpentry and joinery;

c) Brick laying;

d) Plumbing;

e) Motor mechanical;

f)  Heavy equipment fitter;

g) Panel beating and spray painting;

h) Business studies;

I)  IT – computing; and

J) Office administration.

By next year the BTS will link up with Mt Hagen Technical to take in continuing BTS students for National Certificate (NC1) programmes for courses such as heavy equipment fitter.

Also this year BTS has enrolled about 84 students under the Bulolo District rural capacity building programme which covers most of the courses mentioned above.

Bulolo District JDP and BPC Chairman Hon. Sam Basil has approved the programme, which saw 14 students from the six local level governments in Bulolo District.

The program has cost the district K126, 000 from the district services improvement programme (DSIP) funds.

Mr Basil said the capacity building of rural LLGS through human resource was very important at this stage when much of the DSIP funds were used to equip the rural LLGs with machinery, vehicles, electricity, communication networks and road infrastructure.

A similar programme has been struck with the Wau Small Scale Mining Center with course participants being fed through the rural LLGs.

Balob Teachers’ College in Lae will also engage in a similar arrangement to train rural teachers for Bulolo District.

Technical school contributes to building up Bulolo

Caption: Bulolo Technical School manager Berom Yawal

 

A final school fee cheque of K80, 000 was recently released to Bulolo Technical School to complete a total of K126, 000 for the district’s capacity building programme funded by Bulolo District Joint District Planning and Budget Priorities Committee.

Currently the education reform has changed the status of all vocational schools into technical schools, with Bulolo Vocational now known as Bulolo Technical School.

This year BTS has enrolled 290 students into various trades such as:

a) Tourism and hospitality;

b) Carpentry and joinery;

c) Brick laying;

d) Plumbing;

e) Motor mechanical;

f)  Heavy equipment fitter;

g) Panel beating and spray painting;

h) Business studies;

I)  IT – computing; and

J) Office administration.

By next year the BTS will link up with Mt Hagen Technical to take in continuing BTS students for National Certificate (NC1) programmes for courses such as heavy equipment fitter.

Also this year BTS has enrolled about 84 students under the Bulolo District rural capacity building programme which covers most of the courses mentioned above.

Bulolo District JDP and BPC Chairman Hon. Sam Basil has approved the programme, which saw 14 students from the six local level governments in Bulolo District.

The program has cost the district K126, 000 from the district services improvement programme (DSIP) funds.

Mr Basil said the capacity building of rural LLGS through human resource was very important at this stage when much of the DSIP funds were used to equip the rural LLGs with machinery, vehicles, electricity, communication networks and road infrastructure.

A similar programme has been struck with the Wau Small Scale Mining Center with course participants being fed through the rural LLGs.

Balob Teachers’ College in Lae will also engage in a similar arrangement to train rural teachers for Bulolo District.

Basil urges Sepik MPs to issue joint statement

MEMBER for Bulolo Sam Basil has called members from East Sepik including the prime minister to sit down with him and issue a joint statement over the recent clashes in Bulolo between the locals and Sepik settlers and a reported clash at the University of Papua New Guinea, The National reports.

Basil said it was in the best interest of the people that whatever was said and debated on the floor of parliament stayed in parliament.

“It will be good if we, as leaders from Bulolo and Sepiks sit down together and issue a joint statement, urging all our people and young ones to remain neutral and not take matters into their hands.

“I also call upon university students not to take these matters further because it will only spill onto the streets,” Basil said.

“Such actions by our young elites are uncalled for, and they should not be tolerated.”

He said he was also willing to go to the university campus and address students if invited.

“If the students want me to go and address a forum, I will do so gladly with my councillors from Bulolo, so that we can explain things properly.

“As the 2012 elections are fast approaching, I would like to once again appeal to serial general election candidates and recycled leaders not to politicise the issue at the expense of the Bulolo ethnic clash.

“There are opportunists who use pen names in letters to the editor, or on the ground, taking sides with either party of the conflicting groups, playing the blame game or publishing more unfounded accusations,” Basil said.

“I see how such things can help those affected and the vulnerable ones on ground zero.

“When the election writs are delivered by the governor-general in April to July 2012, then we all can play the political game.

“Today’s situation demands common sense to help in any way possible,” he added.

Basil said Morobe Governor Luther Wenge and himself might have not done enough, “but when we all come to properly analyse the situation, we will find that there are so many contributing factors that led to the situation”.

“Law and order, lack of funding, slowness of the provincial law and order committee meeting, disappearance of the uncertified report by the Wau urban LLG manager, police not enforcing the full force of the law on both sides of the conflicting parties, lifting the liquor ban by the magistrate at the request of the traders and, worst of all, politicking of this unfortunate issue.”

 

Do not politicise the Bulolo conflict

By SAM BASIL

Bulolo MP

 

As the 2012 elections are fast approaching, I would like to once again appeal to serial general election candidates and recycled leaders not to politicise the issue at the expense of the Bulolo ethnic clash.

 

There are opportunists who use pen names in letters to the editor or on the ground, taking sides with either party of the conflicting groups, playing the blame game or publishing more unfounded accusations.

 

 I see these cannot help the affected and the vulnerable ones on ground zero.

When the election writs are delivered by the Governor General in April to July 2012, then we all can play the political game.

Today's situation demands common sense from all walks of life to help in any way possible. 

Morobe governor Luther Wenge and myself may have not done enough,  but when we all come to properly analyse the situation,  we will find that there are so many contributing factors that has led to the re-emergence of the situation.

Law and order, lack of funding, slowness of the provincial law and order committee meeting, disappearance of the uncertified report by the Wau urban LLG manager, police not enforcing the full force of the law on both sides of the conflicting parties, lifting of the liquor ban by the magistrate at the request of the liquor traders and worst of all politicking of this unfortunate issue.

The office that I hold is not a private business that I own.

 It is a public office, therefore, every aspiring or recycled politician has every right under the sun to contest or recontest.

I will not run away with this office.

 It belongs to the people and the people themselves will decide who will be their next political leader.

The time will come when we all will hit the polls.

 I appeal to all people not to unnecessarily accuse or point fingers anymore.

 Let us all work together and leave the politics for the right time as guranteed for under the Constitution.

 

Hon Sam Basil

Bulolo MP

Appeal for Wampar LLG to help

By SAM BASIL

Bulolo MP

 

I would like to appeal to the President of Wampar local level government Peter Namus and the people of his constituency, especially the Gabsongkeg villagers, to help my district to accommodate the displaced Sepik settlers by providing temporary land if a relocation plan is embarked on by the committee.

The land, I believe, was identified and supported by Governor Luther Wenge and I stand behind the Governor to appeal for the understanding of the Wampar people at this time of need.

Bulolo District is a very important district hosting an operational mine operated by the Morobe Mining JV (MMJV),  contributing to the economy of Morobe through employment, businesses and royalties to the provincial and national government.

Bulolo District is one of the sister districts among the nine districts in the province.

 Therefore I appeal for their understanding for this temporary arrangement. 

Sam Basil

Bulolo MP

Appeal for all to closely work together to resolve the Bulolo issue

By Bulolo MP SAM BASIL

 

In light of the recent upraising ethnic clash in my district last week, I would like to appeal to all parties from the local tribes and the Sepik settlers to lay down their arms and allow for the national government led team under chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc to negotiate a way forward.

I appeal to all politicians from Morobe including the Morobe Governor to support in any way possible and to closely work together with all the stake holders on the ground, including police and  national government team, to find a way forward.

By addressing the conflicting parties separately will only send different messages which can hamper the efforts of the other negotiating parties such as police, national government, district administration and the other stake holders.

I would also like to appeal to provincial treasurer, provincial administrator and the governor to work together in this time of need.

Morobe Province is hard hit by the rise of cholera in Tewai Siassi electorate while ethnic clashes have taken their toll in Tewai Siassi, Finschhafen and Bulolo districts with the loss of lives.

The accusations of misapplication of funds from the administration against governor are not a new thing it has been brought to light by different administrators in the past.

 The issue continues to surface again, therefore, relevant authorities must step in to intervene against those claims because the last thing we want happening is to see total chaos in the Morobe administration in this time of need.

My district administration has spent over K100, 000 for voluntary repatriation, care centre rations, police and administration and has advised the Morobe provincial government through the then chairman of the provincial law and order committee Benson Suwang to carry on from there.

 The governor has given his assurance and support to continue from where I left, while the committee will find a way forward to deal with the genuine settlers.

The provincial government came short, but I cannot blame them here, as we all understand that the administration does have some serious cash flow problems, as recently highlighted by the provincial treasurer.

The recent clash was liquor related and I call on provincial government lawyers to deal with the matter forthwith to bring back the ban.

 Numerous concerns were raised when the ban was lifted by the liquor operators in the district.

The liquor outlet operators must now choose between the lives of innocent people and their profit driven motives.

 This is not the first time they have challenged the liquor ban in the district as they have done so since the Watut/Biangai conflict in 2009.

There was also another delay caused by the Wau Bulolo urban manager, who was given the task by the law and order committee to furnish a report for the committee to present to the provincial government, quantifying the damages and other factors that had contributed to the ethnic clashes.

The Wau Bulolo urban manager has since disappeared into Port Moresby with the report, which has practically stopped the provincial law and order committee to pursue its cause in advising the provincial administration and relevant aid organisations such as Red Cross, AusAID and others who only rely on official report and confirmations before their engagement.

With the high level investigation team being sent from the police headquarters and the disappearance of the Wau Urban manager with the report to Waigani swamp, this can only mean that this situation of Bulolo has been politicised.

 I am now appealing to the government especially the Prime Minister Sir Michael that if those orders came from him, then we have to put our differences aside, and deal with the people - especially the suffering and the displaced mothers, children and elderly people.

I commend the latest initiatives by the Prime Minister's Department through chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc to have sent a team to the ground last week under instructions from the Prime Minister.

 I look forward for their advice and assistance and as my joint district planning and budget priorities committee is ready to step in by redirecting programme funds should urgent needs arise.

I appeal to the chief secretary and the provincial administrator to help locate the Wau Bulolo urban manager in Waigani and send him back into Wau with the uncertified report to the Morobe administration.

 The urban LLG office and the market has been locked since his absenteeism and the Wau culverting programme is about to commence, for which we need him on the ground to assist.

I would also like to convey our thankyou and gratitude on behalf of the affected people to various business houses in Lae together with Morobe Mining Joint Ventures and PNG Forest Products for their help in donations in keeping the care centre up until the recent incident.

 Your timely help and assistance will go along way of us knowing that you all do care for us the people of Bulolo and Morobe in such a difficult time.

Should the care centre situation stabilise, your continued assistance will be welcomed by all, and in particular I as political head of the affected district appeal for your continued support.

Now that the national government through the Prime Minister's Department is taking the lead on this issue, my support is there and ready for the next course of action upon the advice and support from Waigani.

 

Sam Basil

Bulolo MP

Do not politicise the Bulolo conflict

By SAM BASIL

Bulolo MP

 

As the 2012 elections are fast approaching, I would like to once again appeal to serial general election candidates and recycled leaders not to politicise the issue at the expense of the Bulolo ethnic clash.

 

There are opportunists who use pen names in letters to the editor or on the ground, taking sides with either party of the conflicting groups, playing the blame game or publishing more unfounded accusations.

 

 I see these cannot help the affected and the vulnerable ones on ground zero.

When the election writs are delivered by the Governor General in April to July 2012, then we all can play the political game.

Today's situation demands common sense from all walks of life to help in any way possible. 

Morobe governor Luther Wenge and myself may have not done enough,  but when we all come to properly analyse the situation,  we will find that there are so many contributing factors that has led to the re-emergence of the situation.

Law and order, lack of funding, slowness of the provincial law and order committee meeting, disappearance of the uncertified report by the Wau urban LLG manager, police not enforcing the full force of the law on both sides of the conflicting parties, lifting of the liquor ban by the magistrate at the request of the liquor traders and worst of all politicking of this unfortunate issue.

The office that I hold is not a private business that I own.

 It is a public office, therefore, every aspiring or recycled politician has every right under the sun to contest or recontest.

I will not run away with this office.

 It belongs to the people and the people themselves will decide who will be their next political leader.

The time will come when we all will hit the polls.

 I appeal to all people not to unnecessarily accuse or point fingers anymore.

 Let us all work together and leave the politics for the right time as guranteed for under the Constitution.

 

Hon Sam Basil

Bulolo MP

 

Appeal for Wampar LLG to help

By SAM BASIL

Bulolo MP

 

I would like to appeal to the President of Wampar local level government Peter Namus and the people of his constituency, especially the Gabsongkeg villagers, to help my district to accommodate the displaced Sepik settlers by providing temporary land if a relocation plan is embarked on by the committee.

The land, I believe, was identified and supported by Governor Luther Wenge and I stand behind the Governor to appeal for the understanding of the Wampar people at this time of need.

Bulolo District is a very important district hosting an operational mine operated by the Morobe Mining JV (MMJV),  contributing to the economy of Morobe through employment, businesses and royalties to the provincial and national government.

Bulolo District is one of the sister districts among the nine districts in the province.

 Therefore I appeal for their understanding for this temporary arrangement. 

Sam Basil

Bulolo MP

 

Appeal for all to closely work together to resolve the Bulolo issue

By Bulolo MP SAM BASIL

 

In light of the recent upraising ethnic clash in my district last week, I would like to appeal to all parties from the local tribes and the Sepik settlers to lay down their arms and allow for the national government led team under chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc to negotiate a way forward.

I appeal to all politicians from Morobe including the Morobe Governor to support in any way possible and to closely work together with all the stake holders on the ground, including police and  national government team, to find a way forward.

By addressing the conflicting parties separately will only send different messages which can hamper the efforts of the other negotiating parties such as police, national government, district administration and the other stake holders.

I would also like to appeal to provincial treasurer, provincial administrator and the governor to work together in this time of need.

Morobe Province is hard hit by the rise of cholera in Tewai Siassi electorate while ethnic clashes have taken their toll in Tewai Siassi, Finschhafen and Bulolo districts with the loss of lives.

The accusations of misapplication of funds from the administration against governor are not a new thing it has been brought to light by different administrators in the past.

 The issue continues to surface again, therefore, relevant authorities must step in to intervene against those claims because the last thing we want happening is to see total chaos in the Morobe administration in this time of need.

My district administration has spent over K100, 000 for voluntary repatriation, care centre rations, police and administration and has advised the Morobe provincial government through the then chairman of the provincial law and order committee Benson Suwang to carry on from there.

 The governor has given his assurance and support to continue from where I left, while the committee will find a way forward to deal with the genuine settlers.

The provincial government came short, but I cannot blame them here, as we all understand that the administration does have some serious cash flow problems, as recently highlighted by the provincial treasurer.

The recent clash was liquor related and I call on provincial government lawyers to deal with the matter forthwith to bring back the ban.

 Numerous concerns were raised when the ban was lifted by the liquor operators in the district.

The liquor outlet operators must now choose between the lives of innocent people and their profit driven motives.

 This is not the first time they have challenged the liquor ban in the district as they have done so since the Watut/Biangai conflict in 2009.

There was also another delay caused by the Wau Bulolo urban manager, who was given the task by the law and order committee to furnish a report for the committee to present to the provincial government, quantifying the damages and other factors that had contributed to the ethnic clashes.

The Wau Bulolo urban manager has since disappeared into Port Moresby with the report, which has practically stopped the provincial law and order committee to pursue its cause in advising the provincial administration and relevant aid organisations such as Red Cross, AusAID and others who only rely on official report and confirmations before their engagement.

With the high level investigation team being sent from the police headquarters and the disappearance of the Wau Urban manager with the report to Waigani swamp, this can only mean that this situation of Bulolo has been politicised.

 I am now appealing to the government especially the Prime Minister Sir Michael that if those orders came from him, then we have to put our differences aside, and deal with the people - especially the suffering and the displaced mothers, children and elderly people.

I commend the latest initiatives by the Prime Minister's Department through chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc to have sent a team to the ground last week under instructions from the Prime Minister.

 I look forward for their advice and assistance and as my joint district planning and budget priorities committee is ready to step in by redirecting programme funds should urgent needs arise.

I appeal to the chief secretary and the provincial administrator to help locate the Wau Bulolo urban manager in Waigani and send him back into Wau with the uncertified report to the Morobe administration.

 The urban LLG office and the market has been locked since his absenteeism and the Wau culverting programme is about to commence, for which we need him on the ground to assist.

I would also like to convey our thankyou and gratitude on behalf of the affected people to various business houses in Lae together with Morobe Mining Joint Ventures and PNG Forest Products for their help in donations in keeping the care centre up until the recent incident.

 Your timely help and assistance will go along way of us knowing that you all do care for us the people of Bulolo and Morobe in such a difficult time.

Should the care centre situation stabilise, your continued assistance will be welcomed by all, and in particular I as political head of the affected district appeal for your continued support.

Now that the national government through the Prime Minister's Department is taking the lead on this issue, my support is there and ready for the next course of action upon the advice and support from Waigani.

 

Sam Basil

Bulolo MP

 

400 in Bulolo resign in fear

Locals from Bulolo in Morobe, armed with bush knives, axes, bows and arrows, with a placard calling for the complete removal of Sepiks from the township yesterday. Tension is still high in the area.

 

By RIGGO NANGAN

 

MORE than 400 Sepiks, employed by the PNG Forest Products (PNGFP) in Bulolo, Morobe, have resigned en masse out of fear for their lives, The National reports.

Other Sepiks working in the local bank, post office and schools and the nearby mine are also expected to leave, causing losses to companies and affecting government services.

The 400 Sepiks at PNGFP have submitted their names to their workers union president, Moses Tikiong, and general secretary Albert Kaklep to take the matter up with the management for payout.

The Sepiks gathered at the Huxley Street Play School yesterday at noon while their leaders met with district authorities to discuss their future.

Kaklep later met with Sepik leader Nelson Bito and relayed the message to the people.

The fate of 12 others employed by Morobe Mining Joint Ventures is not clear yesterday.

Some of the 12 have been living with their families at the care centres while others lost their homes in the recent unrest.

The employees of PNGFP made it clear to the company management their decision to leave was due to the current unrest and the threats to the lives of their families and themselves.

District administrator Nimsen Kibisep travelled to Port Moresby yesterday to take the matter up with government secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc.

He would also seek funds for the repatriation exercise.

Bito said three venues for their temporary resettlement were discussed – the Lae show grounds, Wawin in the Markham Valley or a venue to be identified by the Lutheran church.

Kibisep predicted a decline in government services in the district if the entire Sepik community were to leave.

Bulolo University Forestry College principal Tommy Nahuet expressed similar sentiments, saying the campus might have to be relocated to Lae. Both men are from West and East Sepik respectively.

Bank South Pacific relieving branch manageress Linda Maron said eight employees at the bank were Sepiks and they were also affected.

The bank’s acting Momase chief security officer, Igag Woktamoi, closed the bank for an indefinite period as of yesterday.

BSP is the only bank in Bulolo and its customers will now have to travel to Lae to do their banking.

Post PNG branch manager Duna Mara said yesterday they would soon shut operations.

Meanwhile, locals yesterday said they were happy to see the Sepiks go but the government must ensure the repatriation was definite.

“We will stay here until they leave because the authorities did not play their part which led to another unrest,” the locals said.

 

 

Basil is a true leader

Letters to The Editor in The National, Tuesday, August 24, 2010

 

The Member for Bulolo, Sam Basil, is a true hero and a real servant of the people.

The young MP has not only been very vocal on many issues on the floor of Parliament, but has also delivered the services.

He is filled with drive and commitment.

This is what many of our MPs do not have and this has prevented PNG from moving forward.

Basil believes in quality leadership and put his people’s interests first.

 

 

Bulolo shuts down as armed locals hunt rivals

EMBATTLED Sepik settlers in Bulolo are blaming the Morobe government of being slow in repatriating them, The National reports.

Their statement followed the killing of two young Sepiks, who were believed to be from the care centre, at the Saksak settlement and the severe wounding of 12 men by locals on Sunday.

The toll included 10 homes which were also razed by locals at Saksak, Jinker Road and New Camp.

The 12 critically wounded men have been rushed to Lae for intensive care at the Angau Memorial Hospital.

As the situation worsened with all schools, shops and the bank closed, locals were entering Bulolo with guns, bows and arrows and knives to join forces at the town market while the 32 policemen try their best to contain the situation.

Fears of fighting have forced all transport operators off the roads.

Residents in Wau last night said all shops were without food and the Morobe Mining JV, developer of the Hidden Valley gold mine, had not made any freight runs since Sunday.

Several Sepiks in Bulolo said people at the care centre wanted to leave, but the provincial government had not helped the district to repatriate them.

The plea was an about-turn by the Sepiks who, up until last Friday, had demanded the Morobe and national governments to find land in and around Bulolo to resettle them.

“They were so staunch in their demands that they went out and attacked local villagers panning for gold in the Bulolo River – both as a revenge for the April attacks and as a sign that this was as much their home as it was the Morobeans,” a PNG Forest Product employee said.

More than 2,000 Sepiks are now camped in the care centre at the PNG Forest Products premises, with very little to survive on. They had no clothes, no food and medicine.

The rations ran severely low yesterday.

On Sunday afternoon, locals from Bulolo camped at the town market.

Residents said the number of locals was rising every evening, with people coming in from the villages with bows and arrows, bush knives and axes.

Police also reported that they had proof from ballistics that the locals had “a number of sophisticated rifles”.

More than 30 policemen were stationed in Bulolo with reinforcements expected in from Port Moresby and Goroka today.

The police themselves have been burdened with logistical support. They have not been paid their previous three-month allowances.

Last weekend’s 21-day operational call had also not been paid.

The policemen are paying for meals out of their own pockets.

“What is worse, they are paying for calls to police headquarters using their own units on their mobile phones,” an observer said. 

The police also suffered at the hands of the locals.

A resident policeman was stripped of his uniforms and his house cleaned of all its items yesterday.

Eight years of trust accounts with untraceable billions

By SAM BASIL

Bulolo MP

 

The Governor of the Bank of PNG Mr Loi Bakani’s comment yesterday through the media regarding the reckless investments made by the Somare government by placing K5 billion of the people’s money into trust accounts held by the commercial banks is uncalled for.

The K5b belongs to the 6.5 million people of Papua New Guinea and any government that decides to play around with that kind of money to enrich the commercial banking system can be termed as a very bad investment deliberately executed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     for dubious reasons only known to them and their cohorts.

Not only that, but by placing billions of kina into hundreds of different trust accounts in the commercial banks  also makes it untraceable,  leaving funds vulnerable to theft and misappropriation because the process bypasses strict government procedures, guidelines and financial scrutiny.

We have seen the NADP, DSIP, RESI and other funds kept in trust accounts outside the Bank of PNG system and disbursed through hand written cheques often signed by ministers, finance secretaries or their appointees.

In 2004, 2005 and then again in 2008,  Public Accounts Committee has repeatedly ordered Finance Department and Finance & Treasury Ministry to close down those hundreds of trust accounts held at the commercial banks.

The report explained precisely what the current Bank of PNG Governor has indicated including the concerns raised by his predecessor, Mr Wilson Kamit.

The order was ignored because they all think that they are above the law while continuing to open new trust accounts and closing down accounts with depleted funds.

At this point in time, there will be no way the ordinary grassroots people of Papua New Guinea will know about the billions that have been parked in those trust accounts, as by now all may have been spent.

It is strongly believed that more than half of those funds have been and will be stolen through misappropriation or theft.

The Somare regime commenced office after the 2002 national elections and two years on, the PAC delivered its report for the Financial Year 2004.

The committee reported that trust accounts had failed to ensure the proper and lawful handling of public monies, accountability by the trust account trustees and responsible officers.

 By 2004 there were no improvements, and the auditor general could not audit the trust accounts due to lack of records or accounts for individual accounts.

The report also indicated that there was widespread and significant misconduct, and misappropriation by trustees including the Department of Finance.

Trustees continued to breach their duties and obligations with no fear of detection and punishments.

By that report alone I can assume that the agencies responsible to detect and punish are non-functional even to this day.

There was no register of trustees, accounts, bank accounts, trust instruments or monies held in trust accounts.

 Neither the committee nor the government know or can ascertain the number of trust accounts, the amount of money in them, the true balance of trust accounts, the identity of trustees, the terms of trust instruments or any other incident of trusts with daily abuse and mishandled with regular overdraws.

The 2004 report was repeated again in 2005, and then worse still in 2008 and keeps on getting worse every year.

 The windfall gains from the mineral sector pouring into those trust accounts - a good K10-K15b - may have been transacted through those trust accounts without the knowledge of all concerned agencies and the public.

Those monies have definitely been stolen as indicated by the PAC report.

For how long will we all keep on watching those legalised white collar criminals stealing from the public purse?

 Something must be done now!

 The Ombudsman Commission and the Auditor General’s office are deliberately underfunded and have no capacity to audit or conduct investigations.

Therefore, the public cannot count on these institutions; leaving the big question of what shall we all do now?

Do we just keep on watching these wild animals in sheep’s skin stealing our monies under our nose?

The recent appointment of the current finance Minister Hon. Peter O’Neil, as we all know, has broken the protocol and procedures of the political coalition parties from which he has two party MPs in government but was rewarded with a very powerful finance ministry.

That alone can leave us all to wonder if his predecessor Patrick Pruaitch - now under Leadership Tribunal - has purposely placed him there to protect something.

All monies in those trust accounts are rightfully owned by the 6.5m people of this nation and they must now raise up and question those in power as to why, since 2002 up until now, there is no accountability in all those missing billions from the trust accounts as those years reflects the regime’s time in power to this present day.

I believe that the only way to fix this problem is to have this eight-year old regime changed by that we can see proper investigations into all trust accounts.

Members of parliament and public servants who stole must be held responsible by the laws of this land.

Some laws needs to be changed including maximum penalty by execution for trustees who steal public monies amounting to more than K1m,  and life imprisonment for stealing public funds amounting to no more than K500,000.00.

This regime must be stopped now as billions of kina are continuously missing from the trust accounts.

 If the new finance minister Peter O’Neil is keeping a tight lid on this issue then we must all be suspicious of him at all costs.

 

 

Basil must continue to fight for the people

Letters to The Editor in The National, Monday, August 16, 2010

I REFER to your front page report about government MPs receiving K2 million each so they do not switch camp (Aug 12).
As a young Papua New Guinean, I am ashamed to read about such things happening in our country.
Such information would not have leaked out if Sam Basil was not around.
Although I am not from Bulolo, I would like to commend Basil for bringing services to his electorate.
The member has shown his leadership qualities, courage and determination to fight for the poor and silent majority of this country.
Basil is a first-time MP and he has already put many so-called veteran MPs to shame.
In order for PNG to further develop and prosper with our wealth like oil, gas, coffee, gold, timber, etc, we need visionary leaders.
Our MPs are supposed to represent the people and fight for them, not look for their own personal interest.
We do not need leaders who go to parliament and become rubber stamps.
PNG needs visionary leaders like the Basils, Parkops, Marats and Philemons to develop PNG and compete with the rest of the world.
I urge Basil to continue to do what he is doing and set an example for present and future MPs to follow.
 
Les Pinis lo korapsen
Lae

 

Wau/Bulolo is not a poor man's field

By MALUM NALU

A powerful new book on the history of the famous Wau/Bulolo goldfields of Morobe province, to be launched by renowned Papua New Guinea friend Professor Ross Garnaut at the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney on August 19, promises to tell the story of the goldrush as it has never been told before.

Not A Poor Man’s Field (cover below) by Australian Michael Waterhouse, explores Australia’s colonial experience in New Guinea before World War 11 – a unique but little-known period in PNG and Australian history.

Back in May 2008, Waterhouse corresponded briefly with me about the book he’d written on the Morobe goldfields pre-war, and although things had moved ever so slowly, it is my pleasure to report that the book has finally become a reality.

It is a big book of 120,000 words plus end notes, 150 photographs and seven maps and has been financially supported by Barrick, Morobe Mining Joint Ventures, Bank South Pacific, Lihir Gold Ltd and PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum.

Waterhouse (pictured below) has close family ties to the pre-war goldfields, his grandfather Leslie Waterhouse having been a pivotal player in their development, as a director of the largest gold-mining company, Bulolo Gold Dredging, and the biggest airline, Guinea Airways.

“My relationship with Wau and Bulolo is through my grandfather, who from his Sydney base oversighted the development of BGD’s operations from the time of his first visit in 1929 to his death in 1945, at which time he was planning the resumption of its operations after the war,” he tells The National.

“He travelled there regularly but left day-to-day management in the hands of a general manager.

“He was a director of Placer Development, Bulolo Gold Dredging and Guinea Airways and so was pivotal to much of what happened pre-war.

“I embarked on researching and writing the book after being asked to write an article on him for the Australian Dictionary of Biography.”

First copies of A Poor Man’s Field are expected to arrive in Port Moresby next month for sale at the University of PNG Bookshop, and the PNG launch to will be on October 15 at the Crowne Plaza in Port Moresby.

Waterhouse and his wife are coming to Port Moresby on October 4, overnight, and then travel on to the fabled Morobe gold towns of Lae, Wau, Bulolo and Salamaua – in a historical tour de force - before returning to Port Moresby for the book launch.

He says that Not A Poor Man’s Field is not simply another “white man’s history” as he explores the experience of villagers and indentured labourers as best as he can in the absence of written records.

“For the record,” Waterhouse expounds, “while the sub-title refers to it being an ‘Australian colonial history’, this is because the main market is in Australia and the book has to be positioned as ‘Australian history’ to be commercially-viable.

“However, I’ve gone to considerable lengths to bring a New Guineans perspective to the history.

“This is not simply another ‘white man’s history’.

“I do feel strongly about this – it is your country’s history as well, and I’ll make this point at every opportunity.”

Not A Poor Man’s Field is a dramatic account of small miners, an extraordinarily rich gold discovery, visionaries and the construction of giant dredges, power stations and townships in a remote jungle area

It is also the story of how risk-taking pilots, flying aeroplanes ranging from single-engine plywood biplanes to large Junkers G31 freighters, opened up an otherwise impenetrable country.

New Guinea led the world in commercial aviation throughout the 1930s; world records were often set and as often broken.

The book discusses early encounters between villagers and Europeans from both white and black perspectives, as well as the indentured labour system which drew New Guineans to the goldfields from all over the country.

Other themes include the camaraderie of white settlers in an alien environment, race relations in a colonial society, the ineffectiveness of Australia’s administration of New Guinea under a League of Nations mandate and the Japanese invasion and its consequences.

The book takes a multi-disciplinary approach, analysing the colonial experience from economic, social, ethnographic and political/administrative perspectives.

 It also conveys a compelling sense of time and place by extensively quoting participants, both black and white, and through the judicious selection of old photographs.

The result is a portrait of unforgettable contrasts.

Not A Poor Man’s Field takes its name from the Administrator of New Guinea, Brigadier General Evan Wisdom, who when trying to discourage Australians rushing to the goldfields in 1926, wrote: “A poor man’s field in Australia is understood to be a field to which a man without anything can go with his swag and live by the gold he gets from the field; he is not dependent on anyone helping him. He can go out with a swag and a tin of ‘dog’ and get enough gold to keep him going. But you must have natives here to help you, and money to pay them, money to carry you there, and on when you get there; therefore it is not a poor man’s field.”

The title conveys a sense of why this goldfield was so different to any other and encapsulates a theme that re-emerges throughout the book and prevails to this day.

The author decided to write this book after being asked to write an article about his grandfather, Leslie Waterhouse, for the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

He soon realised that he was uncovering, layer by layer, the dramatic story of a little-known period in Australia’s and PNG’s history, one largely obscured by the passage of time and the destruction of records by the Japanese during WW11.

“Many Australian publishers have a view that ‘books on Papua New Guinea don’t sell’,” Waterhouse elaborates.

“This raised the important question as to how a country such as PNG can develop a sense of its own national identity if no-one will publish its history.

“A second question was how Australians can be expected to engage practically with its nearest neighbour if they know so little of the historical relationship between the two countries.

“A primary objective, therefore, has been to provide Papua New Guineans with a fresh perspective on their own history and Australians with a better appreciation of our historical relationship at a time when political and economic relationships are becoming more complex.

“The book has been written for a general audience, although it breaks new ground in a number of areas and is multi-disciplinary in its approach.”

Waterhouse hopes his book will encourage academics in both countries to embark on further research into, and help develop a broader understanding of the history of the Australia-PNG relationship.

Waterhouse has recreated a period that has been largely obscured by time and the destruction of records during WW11.

In doing so, he has drawn on diverse and often unexpected source, with insights gained from studies in anthropology at Sydney University and in economics and economic history at the Australian National University.

His experience in senior positions with government (the Commonwealth Treasury) and in business (with Westpac and as a consultant) has also enabled him to explore the commercial, financial and government dimensions in depth.

Not A Poor Man’s Field is available through bookshops in Australia and from the UPNG Bookshop in PNG.

In Australia, the recommended retail price is $59.95.

You can also purchase copies through this website http://www.notapoormansfield.com/  for only $50 plus postage and handling.

Please note that the book is unlikely to be available until mid-August in Australia and October in PNG.

One hundred copies of a Special Limited Edition of Not A Poor Man’s Field are also available for purchase.

Each copy contains four Bulolo stamps, showing a Junkers G31 flying over the goldfields flanked by a Spanish galleon and a white miner panning for gold, with a New Guinea villager looking over his shoulder.

The stamps are mounted in a panel on the front of the book, which is bound in maroon reconstituted leather, with headbands and marker ribbon, decorated and lettered on the spine and decorated on the front, all in gilt.

These stamps were used by Bulolo Gold Dredging to post gold bars back to Australia in the 1930s and early 1940s and are therefore genuine artefacts from the pre-war New Guinea goldfields.

The Special Edition also includes a brief statement by the acting chief post master at Rabaul in 1935 on the cost of posting gold bars, together with a first-hand account by one of the pilots of the unusual way the gold was transported.

As the gold was carried in all sorts of conditions by plane from Bulolo to Port Moresby and then by ship to Australia, some of the stamps have minor perforation damage or slight staining.

 In selecting the stamps, preference has been given to those whose image is largely unobscured by the post office cancellation.

The cost of each Special Edition copy is $A300, including postage and handling within Australia