Kavieng businessman sponsors fisheries internship

Caption: Kavieng businessman Douglas Tsang congratulates fisheries and marine resources degree dux Jane Wungen, who will be spending six months as an intern with Wildlife Conservation Society

Kavieng businessman Douglas Tsang has made an innovative three-year commitment to fund a six-month internship for the dux of the fisheries and marine resources degree programme.

Mr Tsang, through his company Bisi Trading, has committed K5, 000 for 2009 dux Jane Wungen to spend six months as a research assistant with New Ireland-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

“It is a great honor for us to do something like this,” he said.

“I want to do something for New Ireland as this is where I was born and bred.

“We’re really excited about the National Fisheries College and its future here in New Ireland.”

National Fisheries Authority managing director Sylvester Pokajam commended Mr Tsang and WCS for their support of the degree programme.

“This is an exciting innovation to the degree programme and will, I am sure, provide a major incentive to degree programme students to excel in their studies,” he said.

“My thanks also to WCS for their assistance in providing the work opportunity.

“I am hopeful that this type of innovation can be strengthened in future years to provide valuable work experience for our graduates.

“My thanks are also due to the other business houses of Kavieng that have shown their support to the college and the programme through the sponsorship of prizes for both the degree and diploma courses.”

Pioneer women fisheries graduates set the trend

Pioneer women fisheries and marine resources graduands Jane Wungen (left)  and Priscilla Warambin are proud to be trendsetters in their profession.

Ms Wungen, 23, from Winge in East Sepik and Ms Warambin, 24, from Turubu also in East Sepik, were all smiles when they spoke with me after graduating in Kavieng last Friday.

“I’m very happy and proud to be a pioneer of this degree programme,” Ms Wungen, also dux of the degree class, beamed.

“The knowledge that I have gained from the last four years can be used for the befit of our maritime provinces.”

Ms Wungen, who is interested in maritime conservation, will be taking up a six-month internship with Wildlife Conservation Society in New Ireland province,

“We want to encourage more women to take up this programme,” she said.

“It’s a very-challenging course but very rewarding.”

Ms Warambin concurred with Ms Wungen.

“I’m also very proud to be one of two females graduating with degrees in fisheries and marine resources,” she said.

“It’s been very challenging and I’m very proud to have come this far.

“I’m also hoping to get into marine conservation.

“I think it’s very important that we start conserving our marine resources, given the way our population is increasing.

“We tend to increase our exploitation of marine resources.”

Cartoon of the century!

New Ireland makes a comeback

Caption: Children playing on the waterfront in Kavieng, New Ireland province.Picture by MALUM NAlu

 

New Ireland province is making a comeback from the setbacks of the last few years, according to Governor Sir Julius Chan.

The former Prime Minister said in Kavieng last Friday that he had rehashed the political system and totally realigned the public service.

Although Sir Julius did not mention it, it is understood that he was referring to his predecessor Ian Ling-Stuckey, whose illegal financial and administrative system known as the “Limus Structure” brought about massive problems during his tenure.

An investigation into the financial dealings of the New Ireland provincial government between 2002-2007 has found instances of systemic and blatant abuse of financial and administrative process, gross misuse and misappropriation of public funds totaling over K64 million in five years.

According to the report, the illegal Limus Structure was organised by Mr Ling-Stuckey and Kavieng MP Martin Aini.

 It was a pyramid-type structure where Mr Ling Stuckey was positioned at the top followed by the two open MPs from the province (Kavieng and Namatanai) then the district coordinators, local level government coordinators, ward coordinators then down to segments of the community then onto individuals.

Tabling the report in the New Ireland provincial assembly on Sept 9 this year, Sir Julius recommended for the Ombudsman Commission to carry out a detailed investigation into the leadership culture perpetrated under Mr Ling-Stuckey’s administration.

During the five-year period over K64m of public investment funds belonging to  Papua New Guinean taxpayers were unaccounted for.

The New Ireland provincial executive council,  through its decision number 11/2008,  appointed an independent investigation to be carried out by RAMS Business Consultants supported by Loani Henao of Henao Lawyers to investigate the financial affairs of the New Ireland province from 2002-2007.

The report strongly recommends for appropriate criminal, civil and leadership action against Mr Ling-Stuckey and former provincial administrator Robinson Sirambat.

Sir Julius said at last Friday’s graduation at the National Fisheries College that he was determined “to transform New Ireland province into a self-reliant, autonomous part of PNG that is efficient, market-orientated and internationally-competitive”.

“We are fully aware that to make the Malangan Declaration real – bold and visionary leadership at all levels, from Members of Parliament, Governor, public service and local government councilors,” he said.

“Already, we have rehashed the political system, totally realigned the public service, making it more operational, effective, transparent and accountable, rejecting self-interest and weed out all forms of cronyism and corruption.

“Our mission is to be a force for positive change, to inspire others to greatness through being a catalyst for action – always striving to continually invent the future out of our imagination.

“Ours is not a fixed period or a 40-year strategic plan but a spiritual, living document of hope – clinging to the unchanging principles but adjust to changing times.

“Unlike our sick and stifled Parliament, we insist on full participatory democracy in that the people of New Ireland, however remote, come together to dedicate and commit themselves to create a society in which the powerful and weak, rich and poor, work together to extend the benefits of development to all the people; promote unity, peace and a common resolve so that the province will realise its full potential and that no-one shall be left behind in the development of the province.”

 

Entertainment a'la New Ireland

A singsing group from Tabar Island, New Ireland province, peforming at the National Fisheries College in Kavieng last Friday after the inaugural graduation of degree students in fisheries and marine resources.

 

Beautiful Nago Island, New Ireland province

I had the privilege of visiting beautiful Nago Island off Kavieng, New Ireland province, last Friday. This is where the National Fisheries Authority is building a research centre for international researchers as well as students from the National Fisheries College in Kavieng. The NFA is working in partnership with beighbouring Nusa Island Retreat to also build a resort for tourists. This is a beautiful part of paradise Papua New Guinea.

Where to from here?

From PAUL OATES  in Queensland, Australia

Hi Malum,
Compliments on a good report on your blog today about what Sir Julius' said in his speech. Together with the Governor General and many other intelligent PNG people today, they have finally had the guts to enunciate how it really is.
The answer however is not to keep saying what everyone knows is the problem. The real question is why no one appears able to do something about the problem?
Where is Governor Wenge who trumpeted how smart he was to effectively send the Australian Police support packing?
Where is the Deputy PM? Drinking champagne at the arrival of a luxury private jet?
Where is PM (Empty Promises) Somare when innocent little children in the Highlands are being chopped to pieces with axes and women raped and men shot at illegal road blocks?
No one seems to be able to get their head around reality. It appears that no one can apparently grasp that PNG is no longer governed. Those who believe they are governing the country are actually living in a fantasy world of their own making.
Reality is that PNG has reached that point where the country is unable to be governed in many places. Hitherto, anyone saying this would be castigated and denounced as being ill-informed and unduly negative. Those claims must now be seen for what they are: An 'Empty' excuse from those who are responsible to try and divert attention away from the mess they have created. Those responsible for PNG woes clearly do not know how to fix the problem. Buying political favours at K2m each member will not prevent the lawlessness from growing. PNG leaders are leading the way but it clearly isn't in the right direction. Corruption and waste are now so rampant that no one seems to know where ethical behaviour ends and corruption begins.
With the PNG Parliament now not meeting again until March 2010, the country has another four months to slide further into the morass without any
competent leadership. If the messages currently rocketing around PNG about burning Asian businesses on New Years Eve actually eventuate, exactly what will the PNG government do about this threat to law and order? Ask Australia to send another RAMSI force? I don't think so.
Wantok, husat inap long stretim displa hevi?

Paul