Goroka Show Committee finally gets its K700,000

Eddie Mike (left) deputy chief-of-staff of the office of the Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill,  handing over the K700, 000 to Chairman of Goroka Show Society Gideon Samuel (right) as committee members look on.Nationalpic by ZACHERY PER

By ZACHERY PER

THE K700, 000 earmarked for the Goroka Show Committee from Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has finally been released.

Prime Minister's deputy chief-of-staff Eddie Mike delivered the money to show chairman Gideon Samuel on Sunday night at Bird of Paradise Hotel.

"It is unfortunate that it took a little while before the cheque came into your hands," Mike told Samuel and members of his committee who were present to witness the presentation.

He said the cheque was made payable to provincial treasury, whom the committee would have to liaise closely with them to draw cash.

Mike encouraged members of the society to follow required procedures as stipulated in the Public Financial Management Act and report accordingly to the source of the money.

Samuel thanked the O'Neill/Namah government for being the first to give such a sum of money.

He said the show belonged to the people and the committee was made up of stakeholders.

"We are committed to ensure the show is maintained as it belongs to the people and we are only here to facilitate for the people," Samuel said.

He said the O'Neill/Namah government was getting its priorities right.

"Please pass on our heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister O'Neill and his government for the money," he told Mike.

Meanwhile, in a local radio talkback show this morning, Goroka MP and Minister for Environment and Conservation Thompson Harokaqveh claimed he rescued the money by taking custody of it when it was first released during the Goroka Show.

He said certain members of the show committee were attempting to cash the cheque but he knew that the money would be misused so he quickly took custody of it.

He said there were certain procedures to follow.

"There are many instances of misuses of government cheques without proper paper work in place," Harokaqveh said.

 "This is not a personal cheque.

"It was written to the provincial government for the show committee."