Keeping it clean

About 50 men and women turned up at the Ela Beach in Port Moresby yesterday to clean the beachfront, The National reports.Among the group was Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu. Their efforts were in view of the National Volunteer Day, an annual event that recognises the important role and work of volunteers across all sections of society, both local and overseas. Appropriately, yesterday’s event was themed “a cleaner environment to fight cholera”, a disease that had created quite a scare throughout parts of the country in the recent times.-Nationalpic by EKAR KEAPU

Pangu, PAP back Somare to remain

LEADERS of key partners of the National Alliance have made it clear they are behind Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to see out his term, as lobbying continues for a possible vote of no-confidence when Parliament meets next week, The National reports.

Housing Minister Andrew Kumbakor and Commerce and Industry Minister Gabriel Kapris told The National they would stay with NA and Sir Michael for the sake of stability.

The two claimed their party members were with them, although members were now not bound by any party resolution or the view of their leader.

If they stick together, combined Pangu Pati and PAP have 10 MPs.

With NA’s 41, a Pangu/PAP/NA group swells the number to 51. Then, there are the People’s National Congress, United Resources Party, United Party, Melanesian Alliance and other smaller parties that give Sir Michael a comfortable majority to fight off any challenge.

There is a faction calling itself the “middle group”, which included PNC’s Ken Fairweather. They claim 11 MPs.

Kumbakor said yesterday the intention of the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates (OLIPPAC) was to provide stability in politics.

“Pangu is intact and we stand in coalition with our partners in government to provide stability. I see no reason for people to be jumping up and down.”

Kumbakor said the members, including Kavieng MP Martin Aini, Nipa-Kutubu MP Philemon Embel and Talasea MP Francis Marus, were all intact and stand firm behind the government coalition partners.

He said those who wanted to remove the government were doing it to assume power but warned MPs that power could be very dangerous.

He said the very same people who had been pushing for the integrity law were the same people now claiming that this law was not good.

“Papua New Guinea is full of hypocrites.”

Kumbakor admitted that Pangu, like all other parties, had failed to muster the numbers in the 2007 elections and National Alliance, who won the most seats, were invited to form government.

Kapris assured investors that his party would not move for the sake of stability, good governance and favourable economic climate.

“PAP, with its six members, had joined hands with NA since 2002 and 2007; we will not be moved.

“We will always stand with the PM and take the government to the end of this term of Parliament.”

He said the government had delivered the LNG project and Vision 2050, setting the road map that would see change in the livelihood of the people.

“It is sad to see young MPs like Sam Basil, who have no respect for the founding prime minister who had brought PNG this far.

“Some of us, young leaders, must swallow our pride and praise the prime minister, who is a well respected person and the people of Sepik, for 40 years, had given him that support.

 “As a leader and minister for commerce and industry, it had taken me awhile to market PNG to the world as not many countries know PNG; and the many years of hard work cannot be undone by the instability created by the opposition,” Kapris said.

 

Prime Minister urges opposition to tell the truth

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare has urged the opposition to exercise responsibility and honest leadership instead of feeding lies to the public and stirring emotions, The National reports.

“The statement by the opposition is unbefitting of people who want to lead the people of Papua New Guinea into the future.

“These comments are highly emotional, defamatory and discriminating.

“They reflect the opposition’s insatiable appetite for power at all costs.

“They have continuously created lies about my family,” Sir Michael said in a statement in response to Sir Mekere Morauta’s allegations that the prime minister was building a family dynasty and power entrenched in the Somare household.

“I know no occasion in my 42 years of politics when I have tried to score political points by rubbishing the family of another politician.

“The opposition has gone too far. They have not offered Papua New Guineans any alternative policies or conclusively proven any of their allegations against my government,” he added.

“The courts are dealing with some of the matters raised by the opposition and they should not be pre-empting any of the rulings but respect the process and allow it to complete its course.

“The opposition also cannot say that they represent the people of Papua New Guinea. The people spoke through the polls and gave National Alliance the numbers to form a coalition government.

“Papua New Guineans did not even give 10 people to Sir Mekere at the polls. He cannot say that he represents much,” Sir Michael said.

“The opposition’s continued abuse of the process of democracy will only lead our country into upheaval and possible unrest.”

Sir Mekere had also urged MPs to listen to the people and destroy the house of Somare.

“Sir Michael Somare is trying to build a dynasty. In doing so, he has been involved in scandal after scandal over the last eight years,” Sir Mekere said.

“Power is concentrated in the hands of a small group of people, a group I have previously called the kitchen cabinet.

“Issues of national interest are discussed inside one family kitchen rather than among parties, and power is even more concentrated in one household called Somare.

“This is a recipe for disaster. It is a recipe that is eroding the roots of liberal democracy and promoting dictatorship,” Sir Mekere said.

 

 

Marus speaks out on claims

DEPUTY speaker of Parliament Francis Marus has, for the first time, come out publicly to rubbish allegations by suspected bank robber William Nanua Kapris, The National reports.

He described Kapris as someone trying to blackmail him.

“The reason for being silent at that time, of the court hearing, was because I respect the rule of law, and that I trust that truth will prevail in the end,” Marus said.

He said Kapris had the right to defend himself for the MRO robbery in 2007.

“After all was said and done, it seemed that someone was trying to blackmail me and the two other ministers named by Kapris.

“During the time the robbery took place in 2007, I was not a Member of Parliament, and I am innocent of all the allegations by Kapris,’’ Marus said.

He made the statement to the media in the presence of Pangu Pati leader and Nuku MP Andrew Kumbakor at Parliament yesterday.

Marus said there had been a lot of criticism by the public and also by his fellow Members of Parliament.

“But, I am a leader mandated by my people and, like all other MPs, we should respect the rule of law and let police investigations find the truth,’’ he said.

“I have no reason to hide anything and, if the public chose to believe the allegations made, let it be. But I can only, honestly say I played no part, and only God is my witness.

“I believe a National Court judge had called on police to investigate the three leaders named.

“As a national leader, I am open to investigations by police to establish if these allegations had substance and I will co-operate as much as possible to prove my innocence.”

Marus said like any other human being, such serious allegations had hurt him, his family and friends and had tarnished the name of his Talasea electorate in West New Britain.

“I call on the police commissioner to make the findings of the investigations public, so the matter is put to rest,” Marus said.

Roz Savage to be guest speaker at British graduates meet

The British Graduates Society of Papua New Guinea (BGSPNG) will host a presentation in Port Moresby by world record setting British rower Roz Savage.

Ms Savage, who rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 2005 and last month added the Pacific Ocean to her bag of record setting feats, will make a brief stopover this week in the PNG capital on her way to Malaysia.

She spent four weeks in Madang to recuperate and encourage awareness on environmental issues following her arrival from Tarawa, Kiribati early last month.

BGSPNG president Vergil Narokobi thanked the British rower, author and conservationist for accepting the invitation from the alumni to do the presentation.

 

“The British Graduates Society of Papua New Guinea is privileged to have a speaker of her stature. I am sure Papua New Guineans and members of the British Graduates Society will be eager to hear of the challenges she faced in her incredible journey across the Pacific and be motivated to face life with similar vigour and passion. I also thank the British High Commissioner David Dunn for offering the venue for her presentation and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to the BGSPNG,” he added.

 

Ms Savage was given a rousing welcome upon her arrival in Madang with 100 traditional canoes escorting and guiding her into the harbour. The Madang Resort Hotel became ‘home’ for a month.

 

A latecomer to the life of adventure, Ms Savage was previously a management consultant and project manager at an investment bank before realising in her mid-30s that there might be more to life than a steady income and a house in the suburbs.

 

The presentation will be held at Moresby House on Wednesday 14 July from 6.30 pm and is open to members of the BGSPNG and scholars who studied in the UK and intend to be members of the alumni.

 

For further information call telephone (675) 3251677 and ask for Kila Kome or email ukgraduates.png@gmail.com .

 

A 'university for the community'

The University of Natural Resources & Environment (UNRE) is known to the people of Maprik in East Sepik province as the ‘university for the community’.

Speaking highly of the integrated agricultural training programme (IATP) of the university that is being conducted in their area, many locals expressed their appreciation for the university which they said had contributed immensely to sustaining and improving their livelihood.

Maprik/Wora LLG ward member, Danny Lingin Raminibi, who was one of 25 participants at the program’s recent interview techniques and extension skills workshop in Maprik, said the training had greatly assisted him and his two colleagues (ward members).

He said the workshop had changed their mindsets, and enabled them to effectively plan and strategise programmes and projects to sustain and improve their people’s livelihood.

Mr Raminibi said the training was timely.

With the technique and skills he gained, he said he was now able to follow up on other trainings his people have received.

“Mi hamamas olsem Sepik go kirapim ples blong yupla na yupla kam bek na helpim mipla,” Mr Raminibi said.

A division of primary industry officer Betty Ninawale said the training she has received had boosted her morale to continue her extension work.

Ms Ninawale said many times she felt like giving up, particularly because of the lack of resources, but the university through IATP had given her courage and the confidence to work with relevant stakeholders including UNRE to continue delivering farmer training as well as other basic training to women.

Monica Otto of Foundation of Women in Agriculture Development appealed to all stakeholders to work in partnership with the university to sustainably improve the lives of the people of Maprik as well as East Sepik. 

“Yumi kolim UNRE olsem em university blong komuniti na yumi olgeta mas wok bung wantaim,” said Ms Otto. (We call UNRE as the University for the community so we must work in partnership with it).

 

New strategies for farmer training

The farmer training arm of the University of Natural Resources & Environment, Kairak Vudal Resource Training Centre (KVRTC), has developed new strategies to effectively deliver its integrated agriculture training programme (IATP) to farmers.

The centre through its monitoring & evaluation (M&E) section developed three new strategies: livelihoods analysis, interview techniques and extension Skills; and stakeholder’s analysis which they recently implemented in Maprik in East Sepik Province.

Officer in charge of the M& E section, Linda Ningo, said these new approaches were introduced to ensure that IATP trainings brought maximum positive benefits to people’s livelihoods.

Miss Ningo explained that livelihood analysis assisted  the university know exactly which IATP training module would be most relevant to the needs of a target group of people in a certain area.

The stakeholders’ analysis finds out how effectively the university can work closely with stakeholders in delivering IATP trainings; while the interview techniques and extension skills assists field data collectors establish whether or not IATP trainings achieved their desired outcomes with farmers.

The three strategies were trialled in Maprik last month by university lecturer Mathias Liu and three KVRTC officers Leo Darius, Janna Candy and Ms Ningo.

Livelihood analysis was conducted in two areas: Kuminibis village 1&2 in Maprik/Wora LLG and Ulupu ward in Yamil/Tamaui LLG; and focused on five target groups: women, men, young women, young men and community leaders.

Based on the analysis, the team came up with recommendations for the areas.

Modules recommended for the two wards were: sustainable livelihoods, basic book keeping, land use and soil fertility, vegetable farming, cocoa, livestock and market and supply chain management.

The stakeholders’ analysis conducted involved four stakeholders, Foundation of Women in Agriculture Development (FOWIAD), division of primary industry, commerce and Coffee Industry Corporation.

The team discovered that in order to effectively deliver training to people, the university should continue to remain neutral and work closely in partnership with all stakeholders in Maprik and East Sepik province as a whole in delivering IATP trainings.

In the interview techniques and extension skills workshop that was conducted for two days, 25 participants from various organisations such as FOWIAD, Division of Primary Industry and some women’s groups were assisted to develop questionnaires to ascertain suitable interview methods to find out whether IATP trainings had benefited the population. The interview techniques and extension skills can also be used for M&E purposes.

Ms Ningo said the outcomes of the two analyses carried out and the workshop were successful and would recommend that the same approach be taken in all new areas IATP trainings were taken into.