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Sunday, February 05, 2012
Court order signed by Injia is an abuse of power, says acting Attorney General
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Abel: Probe cooperative societies
By ANCILLA WRAKUALE
THE Task Force Sweep team should investigate alleged misappropriation of funds earmarked for three cooperative societies, a cabinet minister said, The National reports.
Charles Abel, the Minister for Commerce, Trade and Industry has written a letter to the team to carry out investigations.
He said since 2007, K16 million had been provided in the development budget for cooperative societies in PNG.
However, the government had yet to receive full acquittals.
“There are reports of funds used to purchase the Dei Coffee Mill for K1.2 million in Western Highlands and former SPCA properties in Wewak, East Sepik for K9.2 million (K3.2 million purchase and K6 million special funding),” Abel said.
The other group he mentioned was the Women in Business which was allocated K5 million for a programme that was to be run by the department but was given to a company.
Abel said they would be monitoring the societies and investigations should make the societies more accountable and transparent
THE Task Force Sweep team should investigate alleged misappropriation of funds earmarked for three cooperative societies, a cabinet minister said, The National reports.
Charles Abel, the Minister for Commerce, Trade and Industry has written a letter to the team to carry out investigations.
He said since 2007, K16 million had been provided in the development budget for cooperative societies in PNG.
However, the government had yet to receive full acquittals.
“There are reports of funds used to purchase the Dei Coffee Mill for K1.2 million in Western Highlands and former SPCA properties in Wewak, East Sepik for K9.2 million (K3.2 million purchase and K6 million special funding),” Abel said.
The other group he mentioned was the Women in Business which was allocated K5 million for a programme that was to be run by the department but was given to a company.
Abel said they would be monitoring the societies and investigations should make the societies more accountable and transparent
170 survive another shipping accident
By STARZA PAUL
About 170 passengers were rescued late last Thursday in Magarida, Central province, after bad weather forced a ship to abandon its planned trip to Port Moresby, Sunday Chronicle reports today.
The ship, Kimbe Queen, also reported to be a sister ship of Rabaul Queen that sank off Finschhafen last Thursday morning, was en route to Port Moresby from Alotau carrying mostly students when the skipper forced the ship to take refuge at Walai Island off Kupiano.
Captain Tommy Joseph was reported to have slowed the speed of the ship and avoided a certain disaster that would have seen two major shipping disasters happening within a few hours of each other.
The skipper then navigated the ship safely into the leeside of the island.
Continuous bad weather has forced trhe ship to be stranded at Kupiano and the passengers are safe and well,
While most of the passengers have since travelled onwards to Port Moresby by road, about 27 still remain stranded with four crew on board awaiting company representatives to arrive from Port Moresby to refund their monies so that they can pay for their PMV fares to the city.
About 170 passengers were rescued late last Thursday in Magarida, Central province, after bad weather forced a ship to abandon its planned trip to Port Moresby, Sunday Chronicle reports today.
The ship, Kimbe Queen, also reported to be a sister ship of Rabaul Queen that sank off Finschhafen last Thursday morning, was en route to Port Moresby from Alotau carrying mostly students when the skipper forced the ship to take refuge at Walai Island off Kupiano.
Captain Tommy Joseph was reported to have slowed the speed of the ship and avoided a certain disaster that would have seen two major shipping disasters happening within a few hours of each other.
The skipper then navigated the ship safely into the leeside of the island.
Continuous bad weather has forced trhe ship to be stranded at Kupiano and the passengers are safe and well,
While most of the passengers have since travelled onwards to Port Moresby by road, about 27 still remain stranded with four crew on board awaiting company representatives to arrive from Port Moresby to refund their monies so that they can pay for their PMV fares to the city.
PNG needs Kevin Rudd's attention
February 04,
2012
THE tragedy of the Papua New Guinea ferry disaster,
with the loss of more than 100 lives, has brought home the closeness to
Australia of its neighbours.
Like New
Zealanders, with whom we mourned after the Christchurch earthquake, Papuans are
part of the South Pacific family.
Given the recent leadership instability in PNG
namely Michael Somare's flouting of the supremacy of parliament, which duly
elected Peter O'Neill as his successor as Prime Minister it is unfortunate that
Australia's relationship with PNG has been allowed to fade, reflecting a
disengagement that began with independence in 1975.
The
relationship has not been helped by a self-lacerating sense of embarrassment
over Australia's colonial era in PNG, about which fewer and fewer Australians
now know anything.
Leadership is needed to reinvigorate this relationship a
need underlined not just by the ferry sinking, but by the political crisis.
Such leadership must start from the top.
Kevin Rudd is an impressive, erudite and
well-connected figure in world diplomacy.
The Foreign Minister cuts a familiar figure at the
UN, in Brussels and other distant places. And it's important that Australia is
well-represented when and where the big decisions are made. Getting
relationships right in the neighbourhood is also a core task for an effective
foreign minister.
And there are no short cuts.
Gestures of familiarity at international gabfests
are no substitute for putting the time in to visit regularly, to get to know
and to be known.
Chest jabbing
and megaphone diplomacy do not work. Nor does strident interventionism,
especially in a former colony where sensitivities naturally run strong.
Yet that is no excuse for standing aside, or for
focusing instead on secondary goals such as securing a temporary seat on the UN
Security Council.
This weekend, Mr Rudd is in Munich for a security
conference.
Naturally, diplomats and diplomatic ministers can
always claim that they are working away "behind the scenes", subtly,
of course, the odd whisper here or raised eyebrow there conveying apparently
important messages.
When a neighbour such as PNG suffers the anguish it
has in recent months, our Foreign Minister should have been on the front foot
in a bipartisan way offering solutions, seeking to broker deals, being visible,
leveraging off his familiarity.
Mr Rudd, however, was missing in action,
engaged elsewhere
Saturday, February 04, 2012
No bodies recovered yet from mv Rabaul Queen
By MALUM NALU
No bodies have yet been recovered from the ill-fated
mv Rabaul Queen as of today, a source
in Lae told me today (Saturday).
He said 246 survivors were brought in to Lae
yesterday (Friday), one, a woman, who died while the rest were being cared for
at the provincial disaster centre or were undergoing treatment at Angau
Memorial Hospital.
“They (authorities) are hoping for the weather to
subside before they continue the search for survivors or dead bodies.”
The source said Rabaul Shipping owner Peter Sharpe
said there had been 385 passengers on board mv Rabaul Queen when she sank in rough seas off Finschhafen, Morobe
province, on Thursday morning while en route to Lae from Kimbe.
“Most of them were students from New Guinea Islands
who were returning to school,” the source said.
“Others were passengers and students from Lae who
visited their families in the New Guinea Islands over Christmas and were
returning.
“Strong winds and rough seas were blamed for tilting
the ship over.
“Two hundred and forty-six (246) were rescued and
were brought to Angau hospital yesterday.
“One of the survivors died.
“They are gathered at the disaster centre in Lae.
“Some were brought to hospital for medical checkup.
“Relatives are crowded at the disaster centre
waiting for news.
“It is estimated that more than 100 passengers are
still missing.”
One of those grieving is district administrator for
Mutzing, Markham Valley, John Orebut, whose two young sons were on the
ill-fated vessel; however, only one had been rescued.
Salika is acting Chief Justice as Injia suspended
Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika has been appointed as acting Chief Justice as Sir Salamo Injia was suspended by the National Executive Council this week, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill announced yesterday.
O'Neill told a press conference an investigation would be set up to investigate allegations against Sir Salamo.
Sir Salamo was yesterday denied access to Waiagni Court House by armed policemen.
He released a statement yesterday saying that he was still chief justice.
O'Neill told a press conference an investigation would be set up to investigate allegations against Sir Salamo.
Sir Salamo was yesterday denied access to Waiagni Court House by armed policemen.
He released a statement yesterday saying that he was still chief justice.
East Sepik artists hang up in Queensland
By MALUM NALU
By
the time you read this, 10 artists from East Sepik province are in Australia to
produce art from the province.
The
10 artists –three from Abelam and seven from Kwoma - travelled to Brisbane on Tuesday last week to
create new work based on the art found in their ceremonial men’s houses.
From
Abelam are Kiawalli Nikif, Nera Waikua and Loltai Kono; while from Kwoma are
Simon Goiyap, Terry Parkiey, Rex Maukos, Antonius Waiawas, Nelson Makamoi,
Jamie Jimok and Kevin Apsepa.
 |
| Australian High Commissioner Ian Kemish (right, back row), his wife, Australian High Commission staff and the 10 artists during a function at his residence on Monday last week.-Pictures by WILLIAM NATERA of Australian High Commission |
 |
| Chris Karis, director of Sepik tourism company PNG Frontier Adventures (right) makes a point at the farewell function |
It
is indeed a breath of fresh air, especially after all the bad news and politics
of late, with people saying that there is no such thing as good news from Papua
New Guinea.
They
were farewelled at a function at the house of Australian High Commissioner to
PNG, Ian Kemish, on Monday last week.
The
talk was all about art, art and more art, especially of the East Sepik
province, however, the 10 artists were also told of Australian art.
It
all started in July 2011 when Ruth McDougall, curator of Pacific Art and
Michael O’Sullivan, exhibitions manager, Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of
Modern Art, travelled to East Sepik with PNG-born architect Martin Fowler to
research the ceremonial men’s houses created by Abelam and Kwoma artists.
This
research forms part of the development of a major project at the gallery, which
explores ideas of the ‘ephemeral’ in contemporary art created in PNG.
The
East Sepik structures were specifically chosen – along with the mask cultures
of New Britain and the contemporary art of Asmat artists in Papua – because of
their powerful visual impact, the continuing strength of ‘kastom’, and the structures’ ephemeral nature.
McDougall,
O’Sullivan and Fowler visited villages in the areas surrounding Maprik and
travelled up the Sepik River to Tongwinjamb, Mino and Yessan to view the men’s
houses and meet with artists and community elders.
During
this travel, groups of Kwoma, Abelam and Arapesh artists also participated in
an art workshop based at the Ilahita guesthouse, with materials supplied by the
Queensland Art Gallery.
As
a result of these visits and works gathered as part of the artist workshop, two
projects were identified as potential major commissions for the Gallery of
Modern Art in Brisbane, as part of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary
Art exhibition.
In
November 2011, McDougall and Fowler returned to the Abelam village of Brikiti
and to the Kwoma villages of Tongwinjamb and Mino to finalise the selection of
artists, talk to community leaders and commission a total of 19 artists to
create major works for the Gallery of Modern Art.
For
nine of these artists, this project represents their first opportunity for
international travel.
The artists will live in Brisbane for a period
of six to eight weeks, and during their time there will have a dedicated
workshop facility for carving and painting.
The
Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art is greatly honoured to have these
artists visit Brisbane to create work of such cultural significance.
Chris
Karis, director of Sepik tourism company PNG Frontier Adventures, which worked
together with the gallery to make the trip possible, said it would be a great
way to promote Sepik art as well as tourism
“We
have more than 800 different languages and cultures in PNG,” he says.
“If
you are a Papua New Guinean, you must teach your children about your culture.
“We
must support and encourage this, so that the world can come to PNG and see our
different cultures.
“I
know the visit of the 10 artists will have a big impact.
“They
will also learn many new things.”
Australian
High Commissioner to PNG, Ian Kemish, concurs.
“For
a group of artists to come from the Sepik, to represent PNG in Australia, em
bikpela samting,” he says.
“We’re
very glad that you’re going and wish you all the best.
“I
hope you come back inspired by interaction with other cultures.”
Group
leader Antonius Waiawas says this will be his first trip to Australia, however,
he undertook a similar trip to Japan in 2000.
“This
is my first time to go to Australia,” he says.
“I
went to Japan in a similar trip in 2000, where I taught Japanese children about
PNG culture.
“We
want Seik art to be promoted in Brisbane.
“I
will personally go out of my way to promote Sepik art there.
“We
are marketing our cultures.
“The
country will benefit.”
Promising
young artist, Kevin Apsepa, says our culture will not die with such initiatives.
“I’m
a carver, painter and also do other small arts and crafts,” he says.
“We
are promoting our culture with such initiatives.
“I
strongly believe that our culture will not die.”
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