Morobe wants Sepik row settled

THE Morobe provincial government says it will welcome the help of its partner provincial governments and administrations of East and West Sepik to join in finding a solution for the repatriation of displaced Sepiks in Bulolo, The National reports.

Speaking in Lae last week, deputy governor, Morokoi Gaiwata, chairman of the recently formed Sepik repatriation coordinating committee, Benson Suang and his deputy Peter Namus said they welcomed input from their political and administrative counterparts in the two provinces.

“The coordinating committee is asking them and genuine people with good ideas to come and see us so that together we can negotiate and assist to quell the problem because we want lasting solutions that will appease both parties,” Suang said.

The committee agreed that the Bulolo crisis escalated due to non-action by police in the first place resulting in the fed-up locals taking the law into their own hands, destroying all houses belonging to about 3, 000 Sepiks, most of whom are now in care centres in Bulolo.

“Both the locals and displaced people agree that Sepiks have to leave Bulolo and this is the most urgent task for us now and we want to re-settle our fellow citizens without causing further loss to lives and properties,” Suang said.

“The situation is being handled very carefully with recognition of the rights of the affected citizens.”

Gaiwata thanked the government for allocating K3 million for management of the crisis and said the provincial committee was also willing to work with any formed at national level to try to settle the issue.

 

Bulolo District Footbridge Programme

By SAM BASIL

Bulolo MP

Billboard at Baini footbridge project

Baini Village is under ward 19 of Mumeng local level government (LLG), one of the six LLGs of Bulolo district in Morobe province.

The local councillor is Yansom Bambla and the LLG president is Mathias Phillip, who resides at Timini village just along the Bulolo national highway.

My joint district planning and budget priorities committee (JDP&BPC) has approved more than six footbridges to be built in within the timeframe of the remaining months of this year, 2010.

The footbridge programme has been the hardest one of many projects because looking for a good and a reasonable local contractor is always a nightmare.

 This is our second attempt to kick start this programme.

The previous footbridge builder failed our footbridge programs in 2009 while the remainder of the footbridge programme funds was diverted back into other remaining projects late last year, 2009.

This year 2010 started off with a very good beginning which saw the successful completion of the Baini footbridge project.             

We have identified a local rigging and footbridge building firm, Kek Contractors, which has successfully installed the Mumeng television transmission tower and now the Baini footbridge project.

Footbridge opening

My team arrived at the project site at about 2pm that day and was greeted by dancing girls and women leading us towards the footbridge site.

Villagers trying out the new Baini footbridge on Thursday, Sept 2, 2010

We were later joined by others to witness the event. 

 Nearby villages from Baini also came along to witness this event from as far as Witipos, Kumangrung, Bluwat, Bumbalu and  Markham camp (crusher site) while Union of Watut River Communities executives were also present to witness the footbridge opening.

The dedication service started off with the local pastor’s blessing followed by speeches from various speakers.

Pastor blessing the newBaini footbridge

The pastor’s blessing was very welcoming to the villagers and the guests.

The first speaker was the Momase regional works manager, Andrew Thavung, who accompanied us to inspect the Buang Jamu bridge project site before being invited to this event which he gladly accepted.

Thavung, an engineer by profession, stressed on how important and expensive such project could be.

He called for the villagers’ care and attention of this very important infrastructure.

 Thavung also took this opportunity to educate the villagers of the safety and the importance of the Bulolo National Highway that runs alongside Baini village.

He said the highway would only keep on getting busier, therefore, when using the road as pedestrians, they should keep clear of traffic as much as possible to avoid accidents and also to take care of the highway infrastructure such as road signs, bridges and curve road guides.

Baini village elder Ambere spoke on behalf of the villagers.

He thanked the JDP&BPC for delivering this much-needed service to the Baini people, especially when the recent wet weather had caused havoc and disaster,

School children missing classes, women not accessing markets for their produce, and men not attending to nearby community meetings are some of the problems that they encounter during wet seasons.

Ambere said the footbridge would change their lives and made an assurance on behalf of the people to take care of this very-important infrastructure.

In my speech, I urged the Baini villagers to take care of this very-important investment which the district, through the JDP&BPC, has funded.

Bulolo’s mountainous region collects and drains all forms of water into its river system, which can be fatal at times, especially during wet season.

The district loses at least five or more lives annually through violent floods, normal crossings or accidents by weak or old adults and young children.

 It will be a mammoth task to cover all areas with this programme but the JDP&BPC will count on the performance of the construction crew …so far so good.

I used this event to update the villagers of the activities in parliament and told the villagers that whatever we the elected leaders did in parliament remained in parliament.

I also touched on the recent problem in Bulolo township regarding the settlers.

I told them that this was a law and order problem and everyone should respect the rule of law and allow for government and police to handle the situation.

I urged them to refrain from any activities that could further destroy the current fragile situation on the ground.                                           

Mumeng LLG president Mathias Phillip thanked the JDP&BPC for investing in his LLG, particularly ward 19.

He assured the Mumeng people of more of such projects from his LLG-Morobe Mining Joint Ventures royalty funds to support what has already been delivered by the JDP&BPC, of which he is a member.

Omalai ward 3 of Mumeng LLG will have its footbridge commissioned sometimes next week as the contractor is at its final stages of completing the construction.

The total cost of the Baini footbridge is under K30, 000.

Ward areas that are only accessible by air will see the costs of freight and mobilisation to establish such project will easily surpass the K100, 000 mark.

Prime Minister appeals for peace in Bulolo

Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare has appealed to the people of Bulolo not to take the law into their own hands amid mounting clashes in the district, The National reports.
“As prime minister and member for East Sepik, I would like to appeal to Sepik leaders living in Bulolo to negotiate peace and to respect the Bulolo people’s ways and standards and return as they have allowed you to live and be part of their community for several generations,” Sir Michael said in a statement.
“Bulolo has been your home for many years and is the kind of life and environment you have adapted to.
“Your children do not know life in Sepik.”
Sir Michael urged the people of East and West Sepik living in Bulolo to meet with Bulolo leaders to reconcile and settle this problem once and for all.
“Most of you living in Bulolo are fourth and fifth generation Sepiks and have made Bulolo your home over the years.
“Therefore, it is not wise to cause problems from minor issues.”
Sir Michael also reiterated that the Sepiks living in Bulolo should not say they were not from Bulolo and disrespect the laws if they were born and brought up there.
“I will not tolerate the blame placed on one group only.
“This problem has risen among both sides.
“Therefore it should be both groups to take responsibility in settling the problem,” he said.

 

Resolve issue quickly

Letters to the Editor in The National, Thursday, September 2, 2010

 

I AM from Wampar.

I am not happy with the decision to relocate the Sepiks from Bulolo at Nadzab.

Wampars are friendly people and we are happy to live and assist anyone.

However, Morobe Governor Luther Wenge and Wampar LLG president must tell us the length of this temporary stay.

 I do not want Wampar to end up like Manam.

I call on the prime minister and the MPs from Angoram and Ambunti-Dreikikir to put aside their political differences and work with the MPs for Bulolo and Lae, and Wenge to resolve this humanitarian issue once and for all.

They are also Papua New Guineans.

Send them to their homes so they can start their lives anew without fear of violence. – Wampar voice, via email

Heavy rain hits Bulolo and Morobe

Heavy rains hits Lae, parts of Huon Gulf and Buang local level governmentcin the Bulolo district.
Bulolo MP Sam Basil said all road maintenance in Buang LLG had been put on hold to avoid wastage of funds just to have sections of roads washed away or slips occuring just after road maintenance.
The district will pursue further road maintenance into Buang and Mumeng LLG as soon as signs of dry weather begins to show.
Wau Rural and Watut LLGs have now owned their bulldozers under the care of the LLG presidents and managers under the Bulolo district rural LLG capacity building programme and are on trial.
If the managers and presidents can't handle and support their own piece of equipment the equipments will be pooled back into the Districts road works  management team.
So far Watut LLG has progressed well while the Wau Rural LLG has encountered machenical problems which I am trying to help sort out.
The unfriendly weather has taken its toll on much rural road maintenance due to land slips and flooding.
Rural LLG owning their own piece of equipments can only cut the cost of hiring contractors who charges very expensive rates and often lure MPs into corrupt practices of offering kick backs

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.