Congratulations to Ano Pala ?

By SAIBODO

 

It is with amusement I read the congratulations note to the Rigo MP in today’s paper by “Rigo Man” of Port Moresby.

Perhaps the Honorable member will make a great Attorney General, time will tell.

My concern, however, is his achievements as Member for Rigo Open.

Whilst the Honorable Member is in Port Moresby, the people of Rigo are suffering.

Basic services are yet to be delivered, schools are deteriorating, roads are falling apart and health centers have either no staff or no drugs or both.

One just has to take a drive to Kwikila, the electorate station and have a look at the filthy streets, overgrown grass and bushes and only an hour from Port Moresby.

Kwikila is a disgrace; this once-beautiful town was the pride of Rigo, not anymore.

Where is the Member’s office in Kwikila?

Mr Pala, have you driven to Hula or Kalo lately?

The road from Gabone all the way to Hula is falling apart, full of massive potholes and washouts and it’s been like that for almost three years now.

You haven’t even sent a grader down the road just to do some basic maintenance in two years.

The road now has nearly one-metre deep gorges cut through it from water erosion.

It is dangerous and requires great care and skill.

What about the power lines that were supposed to come to Hula?

They have stopped just outside of Kemabolo and again that was two years ago.

Mr Pala, where are you?

It seems as if everything in Rigo simply stopped happening two years ago.

That’s when you won your seat, wasn’t it?

Congratulations for becoming the newly-appointed AG, but please Mr Pala, don’t forget about us, the people of your electorate.

 

Saibodo

Babaka Village, Rigo Coast

Water disruption notice

EDA RANU wishes to advise valued consumers in Gordons, 7-Mile and Waigani Government Office that there will be disruptions to the water supply from 8am to 4pm on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, to enable inspection and removal of faulty valve.

EDA RANU apologises for any inconvenience caused and assures the public that every effort will be made to ensure water is restored as soon as possible.

Consumers are asked to store water during this period and for health reasons, please boil all water for consumption 12-hours after water is restored.

For further information contact our Hotline on 312 2100.

 

 

Pictures of last Wednesday's National Agriculture Research Institute Agriculture Innovations Show at Bubia, Morobe province

 

Gerehu Hospital - a death trap facility

By PETER MEMAFU

 

Since moving back to Port Moresby in late February 2010, the deaths that occur within the new Gerehu hospital seem to be endless and I as someone who lives around the area needed to express my concerns for the appropriate authorities to act on the matter as soon as possible.

The point I am trying to make is that in the first two weeks after arriving in Port Moresby I counted almost eight deaths (one almost every day) and on one particular day (within 24 hours) there were four deaths – one death in the morning, one in the afternoon and two during the night.

There have been cases where people who were barely alive and were still fighting for their lives were simply pronounced dead when they were brought here. (…but who is qualified to actually pronounce people dead when they are brought in?) There were even cases that people who were still alive could not be attended to and so the verdict is to simply pronounce them dead and have their relative take them home and prepare them for burial.

It would seem that all these deaths happening at the Gerehu hospital seem to occur very frequently and almost every week too. I believe that this can only conclude that the medical staff who work there are either so negligent in their duties or simply are not qualified enough to work as professional hospital staff. 

Saint John’s personnel who are contracted by the Health Department to manage the hospital don’t seem to be any qualified than the doctors, nurses and/or other professionals who work at the Port Moresby General hospital and within the provinces.

I also hear that the highest level of any medical personnel you get here at the Gerehu hospital is maybe health extension officers, a nurse or a sister.  Not once did I notice a doctor or a surgical specialist or a professional working in this hospital.

My wife was sick one day and I decided to take her there at around 5am in the early hours of the morning and sat and waited thinking that since there was hardly anyone around we would get served and treated. To our surprise there were staff members there but not even one came to serve us or attended to our needs.

We continued to wait and remained there un-attended until 8.30am when the hospital started to fill up with the public and still we did not get served.  In the end I simply gave and took my wife to a private medical facility only to pay more so that I could get some attention and get her treated

Secretary Health, please do something about the frequent deaths that occur here or get someone qualified persons to manage and oversee the services of the Gerehu Hospital immediately.

Prime Minister wrong to shoot the messenger, says ACT NOW!

PORT MORESBY: ACT NOW! has criticised the Prime Minister’s decision to force the resignation of Attorney General, Dr Alan Marat.

Effrey Dademo, programme manager, says: “By forcing the Attorney-General to resign, the Prime Minister is sending a very negative signal to other Ministers and to the people of PNG."

Dr Marat was forced to resign last Tuesday after he spoke out against the government's proposed changes to the powers of the Ombudsman Commission; questioned the benefits that would flow from the LNG project; and, the wisdom of allowing the Ramu and Solwara 1 mines to dump waste in the sea.

“In speaking out on these issues, the Attorney General was voicing the opinions and fears of the people of PNG," Ms Dademo says.

“The Prime Minister should listen to what the people are saying and respond to their concerns rather than shooting the messenger. That sends totally the wrong message. It says the PM does not care about the people”

“Act Now! would like to remind the PM and all MPs that Parliament exists to represent the people, not to force grand ideas on us that may make our leaders and foreign companies richer but will not benefit the people.”

For further information and comment contact Effrey Dademo on 7689 5266 and at effrey@actnowpng.org

 

 

Government needs to audit its defence force

By REGINALD RENAGI

 

It is time the Government audits the Papua New Guinea Defence Force.

 Since independence, the PNGDF still has many challenges. 

The current state of hibernation is a result of constant failures by successive administration over the years.  

Today, the whole defence organisation has seriously eroded its institutional capacity to an unacceptable level and is in danger of being like the rest of PNG’s dysfunctional public service.   

In recent years, several citizens have expressed concerns for our government to start seriously addressing our national security situation. 

 The situation today is as apart from the government's constant lip-service, it has for some time now undermined PNG's national security for many years.

 It has failed to ensure our defence force is appropriately equipped to effectively carry our core functions well.

The present state of affairs in the military clearly demonstrates a lack of a long-term vision by successive governments.

 More so, successive defence administration has done little to address in any substantial way its ongoing deficiencies in a more holistic approach. 

So besides auditing the military, which all state agencies should also be subjected to; the government needs to look at its national security 'big picture'. 

 Here we must ensure defence policy compliments foreign policy and ask what does the government expects the PNGDF to do in future? 

The government should do this taking into account PNG’s enduring strategic circumstances, and the national resources at our disposal. 

The challenge is now before the Defence Ministry and should include concerned members of the public to have an input into the formulation of both new defence and foreign policy framework through the media, and other appropriate public forums.  

A proper independent audit is required and the way to do this properly is systematic self-appraisals regularly carried out during both the commander's tour of duty and the Defence secretary's term of office.  

The Defence secretary and commander can always do an ongoing audit process as a continuous improvement strategy. 

This must be done as a routine process of Defence's total quality management corporate policy.  

So at every occasion of handing over command of the defence force to a new commander and the department to a new secretary, the government through the Ministry would always be up to date on the overall health, and or state of its national security regime.

In this way, over time; the PNG government will systematically make the required improvements to defence.   

Furthermore, the government must start thinking in new ways to initiate some policy intervention measures to allow its military in being best placed for positive development outcomes in future.  

Here, we also need to look now at out present disposition and analyse whether relocating key assets to areas will greatly enhance our homeland security better.  

The Ministry must now put out a new defence white paper with a revised reform programme mandated by the defence department under the auspices of the secretary.   This must ensure all planned programs and activities for the Ministry are properly budgeted for, and not done in a somewhat ad hoc manner as has been the norm in recent times.  

In this way, the PNGDF will be more appropriately resourced. 

PNG must now increase its manpower ceiling to meet the country's internal security and development needs as well as the protection of its territorial sovereignty, and resources.

Defence - looking at new manpower options

By REGINALD RENAGI

 

Papua New Guinea’s future security can be enhanced through having improved internal security networks.   

In recent years some academics and media pundits have suggested abolishing the PNG Defence Force as one future solution for the government.

 All these critics fail to articulate clearly what this will solve; or even mean for PNG.  

Whether this will be viable is something for PNG to decide. 

If the government does decide in future to make this tough 'judgement call', then the government must be fully prepared to protect its future national interests in the best way it can. 

Despite its short-comings, the PNGDF like any military; is a noble profession of arms.

A country's armed force is a necessary instrument of state politics.

Since history, the military has provided governments some kind of comprehensive insurance policy to defend its national interests. 

Throughout the ages, the world over has had standing security forces to serve the state's purposes. 

This will remain so, as long as people are inclined to the application of force to solve their social problems. 

For as long as man has existed, people have been fighting forever.

 The fighting will go on forever.

 To think you can stop people fighting by taking away their weapons is an infantile notion to get much support in this country. 

The government has proven this for years. 

However, I am sure that one day, we will in our own way find a way around this universal problem.           

Defence has several functions. 

The PNGDF elements carry out various security roles and specific tasks relating to: surveillance and response, monitoring, enforcement and interdiction missions, maritime law enforcement/coastguard tasks, border patrols, intelligence collation and dissemination, aid to the civil community, civic action tasks/nation building, remote area medical patrols, coast-watch duties, search and rescue, "mercy missions", showing the flag in remote maritime localities, ambassadorial good-will visits by ships, peace support operations with neighbours, etc). 

Its span of diversified responsibilities simultaneously overlap into agencies like: police, fisheries, customs, health, environment and conservation, foreign and provincial affairs, works and transport departments, provincial and community governments, and so on. 

At present manning levels, the PNGDF is not at its minimum credible ceiling to satisfactorily meet ongoing missions.

 Today, the PNGDF is grossly under manned with many hollow operational units as a result of enforced reductions across the board.

 The fact is defence's regular manpower ceilings are too low. 

The pool of well-trained, junior officers, junior non-commissioned officers and other key personnel is too small, and therefore, defence must now look at new manpower options.