Wingti bids farewell to Pora

By YVONNE HAIP

THOUSANDS of people turned up last Saturday at the Tega ceremonial grounds to bid farewell to former Mt Hagen MP Paul Pora, The National reports.

After a funeral service, the late Pora was finally laid to rest at Kum Kona in Dobel where he grew up as a child.

Former prime minister Paias Wingti also attended the burial among family members, friends, the Yamka people, community leaders and business people.

Wingti paid his respects and praised Pora for quality leadership that he had displayed during his reign as a three-term parliamentarian.

Wingti described Pora as an honest and humble leader who came from humble beginnings with a vision to lead with transparency and accountability.

He said today’s leadership was infected with corruption and malpractices.

He said that there were some who were living off government handouts and, due to these bad habits, leaders were travelling around with heavy police escorts unlike in the past.

Wingti said when Pora was finance minister during the height of the Bougainville crisis, he had run the country on a budget of K1.8 billion compared to the current K6 billion.

He said Pora had managed the people’s money well and was a true leader who had the heart for his people.

Wingti added that Pora was a businessman before he entered politics, and did not steal the people’s money.

Thousands turn up to receive Paul Pora

By JAMES APA GUMUNO

THOUSANDS of people turned up at the Kagamuga Airport in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, to receive the casket containing the remains of former politician and businessman Paul Pora yesterday, The National reports.

The late Pora’s casket arrived on a chartered new Dash 8 aircraft, accompanied by parliamentary leader of the PNG National Party Joe Mek Teine, wives of the deceased and their children and other Hagen Central leaders.

People from Yamka and the neighbouring tribes in a mourning procession as they escorted the casket containing the remains of the late Paul Pora from the Kagamuga Airport to the Tega ceremonial grounds where thousands of mourners waited to receive the body. – Nationalpic by JAMES APA GUMUNO

The huge crowd outside the Air Niugini terminal was well-behaved, allowing other airlines to continue on with their operations.

After the Dash 8 landed, the casket of the late Pora was transferred onto an open-back Fifth Element vehicle and, escorted by police traffic and a bagpipes band, proceeded slowly from Kagamuga Airport all the way to his Tega village where thousands of mourners waited.

The Tega ceremonial ground was packed to capacity with the crowd stretching from the main arena out onto the road, allowing very little room for free movement as neighbouring tribes turned up in droves yesterday. More are expected today and tomorrow.

The late Pora will be laid to rest on Sunday at his village.

Former Kerowagi MP Waguwo Goiye said he had received news that PNG National Party supporters from Chimbu would arrive tomorrow for the funeral.

Other party followers and supporters from within the highlands were also expected tomorrow.

No Western Highlands MPs accompanied the casket when it left Port Moresby for Mt Hagen yesterday.

NCD farewells Pora

THE Rev Sione Kami Memorial church ground was packed to capacity yesterday as the casket containing the remains of the late Paul Pora was brought in for his funeral service, accompanied by his grieving wives, including Sharon (pictured above with daughter Victoria), former business and political associates, family friends like Lady Elizabeth Kiki (below, wife of the late Sir Albert Maori Kiki), relatives and Hagen tribesmen and women residing in Port Moresby, The National reports.

As the tears flowed freely, sentiments of courage, briliance, respect and patriotism was accorded the late Pora, who died of asthma, aged 66, last Friday. 

After losing the Hagen open seat to William Duma in 2002, Pora retired to his Kuriva farm outside NCD. 

The remains of the late Pora will leave for Mt Hagen today to be laid to rest beside his mother at Kum Kona, Dobel village. – Nationalpics by EKAR KEAPU

Paul Pora passes on

NATIONAL Party and Western Highlands icon Paul Pora is dead, The National reports.

The humble elder statesman was three-time member for Hagen open and one of Western Highlands’ first multi-millionaire businessmen.

Pora succumbed last Friday to a life-long struggle with asthma, exacerbated by a life-long smoking habit.

He was 66 years old.

Many would mourn his passing across the country among the National Party followers, business and personal friends and colleagues, and among his former Hagen electorate, particularly his loyal Yamuka Pepka tribesmen.

As with many people of his stature and longevity, Pora was the stuff of legend.

Such stories often tell the measure of the man.

When former communications minister Malipu Balakau was gunned down outside his house in Mt Hagen in June 1989, the death was blamed initially on Western Highlanders.

Yet, Yamuga Paul Pora was the lone man standing in the middle of the road at Togoba with the father of the late Malipu Balakau to face the wrath of the Enga people.

A convoy of Engan vehicles, nearly three kilometres long ready to do battle and burn Mt Hagen town, was stopped by the figure of this lone man.

He told the Engans that they could continue into Mt Hagen, but, in peace.

He told them that the city was theirs as well as Western Highlanders, that the perpetrators of the violence were not known, only that the killing had occurred in Mt Hagen.

The convoy did proceed into Mt Hagen – in peace where Pora ordered every food bar in the town to contribute food for the assembled Engans and told all Western Highlands tribes in the town’s vicinity to contribute sugar cane.

On the day he lost his Hagen seat to William Duma in June 2002, Yamuga tribesman threatened to block the Highlands Highway leading into Mt Hagen and to close the Kagamuga Airport.

They had good reason.

Three boxes from Pora’s stronghold areas remained uncounted when the returning officer declared Duma the member-elect.

Hearing of the threats and the people’s anger, Pora sent word to all Yamuga men to gather at his Tega village community grounds.

There, he told them, in words we paraphrase here: “The elections have just ended. We have a new member for Hagen Open.

“Something happened that I do not agree with, but there is a due process. It is not for you to take any action.

“It is for me to take this course of action.

“I want all of you to return to your jobs and your homes.

“Everything must run as normal.

“The airport is a national airport and it must remain open.

“The highway is a national road and it must remain open.

“Mt Hagen town is ours. It must not be touched ...”

And, with that, Pora stepped out of politics for the last time.

He never challenged his loss. The last 10 years he spent in retirement at his Kuriva farm outside Port Moresby.

When, as minister for finance from 1988 to 1992, he was told to ensure members were secured into guard against impending motions of no-confidence, Pora always sent away to his own company, Dobel Farming and Trading, for financial support.

Such was the drain on his family business that, while he was yet minister, he had the unpleasant task of appointing a receiver for the company when the PNG Banking Corporation placed it under receivership.

He refused pressure to sack then managing director of the PNGBC, Sir Mekere Morauta, which he perfectly well could have done as minister.

Pora’s funeral service will be held tomorrow at the Sione Kami Memorial church in Port Moresby between noon and 2pm before the casket with his remains makes the final journey, by chartered aircraft, the next day to Mt Hagen and his final resting place at the site of his birth, Kum Kona.

Pora walked to Chimbu to attain his primary education and completed it at Finschhafen, Morobe. He did his high school at Bugandi and Sogeri and was the second lot of intake for the new University of PNG.

He worked for the Reserve Bank of Australia, rising to be registrar of the savings and loans division before he answered a call from local councillors to become council clerk of Mt Hagen.

He was charged with having developed the council’s business arm which now remains the successful Wamp Nga group of companies.

He went into business himself and had a diversified portfolio under the Dobel Farming and Trading holding company name.

He was made the first chairman of the national airline, Air Niugini, and entered politics in 1987.

He served as minister for finance and for civil aviation.

Pora is survived by his four wives and 17 children and many grandchildren.

Soft-spoken, unassuming with the distinctive afro-hair and the curled moustache, Pora helped built many people’s lives and businesses and used others less.

His legacy shall long remain.