Single mothers sell newborns at Kokopo market

By EVAH KUAMIN

YOUNG mothers in East New Britain are selling new-born babies cheaply at the Kokopo market for money to sustain their daily needs, The National reports.

Kokopo town mayor Albert Buanga revealed this yesterday after receiving two cases in which two young women, aged in their early to mid-20s, sold their infants to a local family.

Buanga said the young mothers were single and had wanted to discard their unwanted babies by selling them cheaply for cash.

This, he said, was illegal and against Christian teachings and principles.

According to the mayor, the transaction of cash sale for the babies had been between K100 and K150 which, he added, was a cheap and fast way of getting rid of the infants.

Buanga condemned this type of business which he described as immoral and portrayed total disrespect for the souls of the newborns.

A senior welfare officer interviewed regarding the issue also condemned the act by the young women.

“Lives cannot be sold as a commodity; biblically it is wrong.

“It is bad for society and labels the society as corrupt,” he said.

Babies, he said, should not be victimised in such a way.

He said children’s lives should be protected and not commercialised.

The officer urged the division of community development in the province to seriously look into the matter and address it promptly.

He said awareness on unwanted pregnancies should be conducted immediately.

“In this way, young mothers and women will know that there are procedures involved if they are unable to care for their children,” he said.

The police sexual offences squad in Kokopo also confirmed the reports, saying that the first case was reported earlier this year.

The case involved a young mother who sold her newborn baby for K500 to a family from Bitavavar village in the Kokopo-Vunamami urban LLG.

Police intervened and told the family to return the baby or make legal arrangements through the civil court for adoption.

Several mothers The National spoke to at the new Kokopo market confirmed that they had seen two young women with the infants at the market just before midday yesterday.

They had informed other women that they were selling the infants for prices ranging between K100 and K150.

The community development office in Kokopo could not comment on the matter as officers were awaiting direction from the office of the director of child welfare and protection services in Port Moresby.

Meanwhile, Buanga had appealed to the public to report any persons selling babies to the urban town authority or the welfare section of the community development office.

Polye: Do not fear proposed merger

A MERGER of two airlines is not such a bad thing and no one should fear it, Transport and Works Minister Don Polye said yesterday, The National reports.

Polye told The National the proposal for Airlines PNG and Air Niugini to merge was his, and he was floating the idea among fellow ministers and industry stakeholders.

He said the government’s “open sky” policy would attract more competitors to the country as PNG becomes an attractive destination for commerce, trade and holiday.

“Our skies will get busier as we have seen with the entry of Qantaslink and Virgin Blue.

“The merger proposal might be the best option for both airlines (APNG and Air Niugini),” he said.

“Air Niugini may not like this, but it must remember the playing field has never been even. Air Niugini has survived over the years, and re-fleeted through massive capital injection from the government.

“APNG may not be government-owned and funded, but it is about 30% PNG-owned. It has served the country well, flying to some very rural and tough areas and is helping to deliver our development programmes.

“It might have debt, or suffered losses, but that will be taken into account when determining equity in the merger.”

He said his advice was that a merger would save both airlines K150 million, give the merged entity a better capital base to work from and remove the need for capital injection by the government.

“I believe this strategy is best for both airlines going forward.

“I have discussed this with the prime minister and he is supportive.”

Polye said the merger proposal would be thoroughly discussed.

Breakthrough in air crash investigations

By MALUM NALU

THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority investigators (CASA) have finally made a breakthrough into the crash that killed pilot Christopher Kaines in the mountains of Myola, along the Kokoda Trail, on Aug 7, 2008.

Captain Christopher Kaines...his plane crash is shrouded in mystery

CASA has discovered that the Cessna 206 flown by Kaines – a very experienced pilot – was unregistered and had no certificate of airworthiness.

As well, it has been found that operator Joe Maule Rice, was conducting illegal charters without an air operator’s certificate.

Charges are expected to be laid soon against Rice in relation to the crash that killed Kaines, as well as several others including running an illegal flight training school at Six-Mile in Port Moresby, fraud and assault.

Rice, when contacted yesterday and asked to comment on the allegations, denied any knowledge of them, swore at and threatened this reporter and hung up.

There were several unanswered questions as to the flight plan –if any was given to CASA, the air worthiness of the Cessna, and why the operator disappeared since the death of Kaines.

Reporters probing the crash have since 2008 been hitting a brick wall at CASA when trying to get information on the crash.

A well-placed aviation source, however, has broken the silence in an exclusive interview with The National.

The source said Rice purchased the aeroplane from TropicAir on as-is-where-is condition. At the time, it was unregistered and had no certificate of airworthiness.

“It’s known that he was conducting illegal charters without an air operator’s certificate,” the source said.

Rice kept a low profile after the crash but then emerged from obscurity by setting up a flight school charging huge amounts of money for fees, when he was not known to be a pilot.

“Now, the bloke (Rice) is actually known to be conducting an illegal flight school without the appropriate licences or qualifications and is known to be charging large sums of money from young, aspiring pilots,” the source added.

Kaines, from Gassam village on Siassi Island, Morobe, is survived by four young children.

Widow Betty Kuyei surrounded by children Chris Kaines Jr, Emerald, Story and answer admire a newspaper picture of their father

They are son Chris Kaines Jr from first wife Betty Komes and daughters Emerald, Answer and Story from second wife Betty Kuyei.

They have, since the tragedy, been making emotional pleas to CASA to release details of the plane crash which killed their father.

Papua New Guinea's great war: fighting for opportunity

From MAVARA HANUA

 

We are on the verge of untold riches.

Gas, rocks, fish and our blue chip companies are raking billions of kina every year.

Our country will become an El Dorado where our cities will be perched with gold.

Our landscape will have opulent mansions and the people will have wealth like never before. 

Highways will be built and cars from every make will traverse on them.

 Super malls will spring up and they will be our playgrounds.

However, like the enchanted city, conquistadors will come from all corners of the earth to marvel at its spectacle and burn with lust to consume its riches.

They will shower us with their way of life, fill our bank accounts with emeralds and pollinate their beliefs.

In all, our way of life will change.

The question on everyone’s lips is the change for better or for worse.                                                   

  I don’t know but what I do know is that change usually attracts conflicts and conflicts if not managed properly, may cascade into a cesspool of war and destruction.                                            

 Anti-Chinese sentiments in Ramu Nickel, Highlands, Manam, Sepik and Porebada conflicts among landowners are all signs of conflicts.                                                                                                           Even conventional challenges such as crime are now moving into another realm, high flying executives, business tycoons and rogue politicians are now the new face of raskols.                      

  There is talk of the Yakusa, Triad and Mafia converging on our shores and taking a stake of our real estate.                                                                                                                                                             Papua New Guinea, the drums of war are reverberating in our homeland and they will no doubt threat our way of life.                                                                                                                                                     You see war is consumptive, destructive and for those unfortunate souls that have witnessed it, they have scars that will remain in their memories for eternity.                                                                     Carnage, the scent of putrification, destitution and loss, war is destructive.                                              

Although nations pledge to avoid wars, they have become an integral part of diplomacy, economics, politics and even development.

Like in ancient times, modern armies fight anything and anyone. 

From a foreign enemy, insurgent population to fundamentalists, governments have a powerful resource. 

Make no mistake; Papua New Guinea has this resource. 

The men and women of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force are trained killers. 

They have been schooled in the art of war.

 They have hid in pillboxes with future generals, flew in cockpits with top guns, sailed the seas with admirals and have been inside some of the most-secured facilities in the world where warheads contain a payload that can sink the Papua New Guinea mainland.

They are trained to have unquestionable loyalty to the people of Papua New Guinea.

 So when our elected leaders tell them to jump out of a plane to kill an enemy, establish a forward base to bring relief supplies to our people who have been decimated by natural disasters, catch rouge vessels that steal our marine wealth, they do it without hesitation.  Whether they perish in the swamps of Western Province, drown off Nukumanu or die in the cockpit somewhere in the Owen Stanley ranges, they live to protect the freedom we enjoy.  

So we have the capacity to fight.

Our boys and girls in uniform can adapt operational and tactical engagements but they still remain uncertain on one crucial intelligence: they don’t know who our enemy is and neither do we. 

An astute student of war will probe the question, remove the chain of command and the entire infrastructure will collapse. 

From hunting in the caves of Afghanistan for Bin Laden to bombing Hitler’s Eagle Nest, command control must be eliminated.

 So where is the command control in this case?

 Is it the Chinese, Sepiks, Highlanders, Porebadas, Manams, foreign governments, gangsters, raskols, businessmen, politicians?

No, the enemy is us. 

When we stand by and allow the fabric of our democracy to dwindle because of an old man’s insatiable appetite for power, denying health and education services to the masses because it’s not in my personal interest, fund gangsters to protect crime syndicates, we are all guilty of war crimes.

But there is a resistance and it is led by the millions of Papua New Guineans who rise up every day and pray for the peace of PNG. 

As they travail in the presence of God for hope and change, a new generation is rising.  From energetic human rights supporters, internationally-acclaimed environmental advocates, God-fearing CEOs, patriotic government officials, intellectual freaks, coffee growers, mariners, pilots, bankers, buai sellers, fisherman, they are rising to the call.

The battlefields are road blocks where a constable refuses a bribe and charges the driver for drink driving, board members vote against a unscrupulous deal, court rooms where prosecution of criminals is upheld, district treasuries where misappropriation is averted, primary schools where children joyfully recite there ABCs, aid posts where a mothers survive child birth.   

There is nothing to fear PNG being an El Dorado: this is our inheritance, let us cross the river and take charge of it.

 Sure, the current of corruption will be sting, the sharp rocks of death will spike our heels, piranhas of deceit will swarm us but it’s worth the fight because our people deserve a nation of opportunity, security and prosperity.  

 

Kutubu women for rice

By SENIORL ANZU of NARI in Moro

Community initiative has paid off for Foe women in the Kutubu area of Southern Highlands. Through sheer interest and determination for rice production, the Kutubu Foe Women’s Association has been fortunate in acquiring two rice milling machines that will be launched tomorrow at the Pimaga government station.

This is a result of the association’s initiative in taking up modern agriculture for food and income on a sustainable basis.

Among others, the group is pursuing rice to supplement daily diets and as well supply surplus to possible market opportunities created by the boom in oil and gas developments in the Kutubu area.

Led by women leader Naomi Samuel, rural women have already mastered the basic techniques of rice production.

Interested rice farmers from the Faso area have also picked up rice farming, spreading the interest to the entire Kutubu region and even the Moran area.

The National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and PNG Women in Agriculture Development Foundation (PNGWiADF), both based in Lae, have been in the Kutubu area since 2009, providing technical assistance.

This initiative has been supported by Kutubu’s community development initiative and Oil Search Ltd.

NARI’s senior scientist Dr Peter Gendua and PNGWiADF president, Maria Linibi have been on site this week providing hands-on training and technical advice to about 100 interested rice farmers across Pimaga, Orokana, Waro, Tiriabo, Tugiri, Soro and Inu villages.

NARI has so far provided two upland rice varieties (NARI Rice One or NR 1 and NR 15) suitable for the environment with two rounds of training on land preparation, seed sowing, transplanting, field management, harvesting, threshing and milling to major villages in Kutubu.

Pictured are women at Pimaga having hands-on training in seed sowing of a NARI released rice variety, NR 1, on Monday

However, a major hurdle faced by farmers was proper milling of their farm harvests.

Many expressed the need to have rice milling machines.

Members of the Kutubu Foe Women’s Association have harvested tonnes of rice but milling has also been a constraint.

After knocking on doors of various organisations, Oil Search Limited and the Department of Agriculture and Livestock have come good in providing a rice milling machine each for the association.

The support has come along due to the association’s own desire and determination to pursue agriculture for development, particularly in rice cultivation.

 During tomorrow’s launch, the two rice milling machines will be officially handed over to the Kutubu Foe Women’s Association.

The operations of the machines will also be demonstrated to the farmers and those with harvests will have the opportunity to mill their produce.

 The initiative has demonstrated public-private partnership of all stakeholders in community development.

Modern agriculture introduced in Kikori

By SENIORL ANZU of NARI

Villagers along the Kikori delta in the Gulf province can now practice modern agriculture for food security and income, thanks to Oil Search Limited and the PNG Women in Agriculture Development Foundation (PNGWiADF).

The sole dependence on sago and fish for survival by the Kikori River people will be a thing of the past as they take up new skills and innovations in vegetable production.

They can now farm round cabbage, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, carrot, spring onion, lettuce, pakchoi, watermelon and tomato.

With support from Oil Search’s community affairs division based in the Gobe oil fields, model farmer and agricultural trainer, Maria Linibi of PNGWiADF, has provided training for 26 villagers since last month.

The participants are from seven villages – Kaiam, Banana camp, Irimuku, Babeio, Veiru, Kekea and Ero – along the Kikori River.

From left are Tommy Polang of Oil Search, PNGWiADF president Maria Linibi, community representative John Ipai and an Oil Search official displaying seedlings of tropical vegetables at Irimuku village in the Kikori delta, Gulf province.-Pictures by SENIORL ANZU

 In July, the participants acquired skills in nursery preparation of different tropical vegetables and last week, Linibi taught them again on how to prepare land and transplant seedlings.

 The training was conducted at Irimuku village with a demonstration farm established at the run-down Kitomape SDA school grounds.

The initiative was undertaken as part of agriculture development under Oil Search’s sustainable development programme in communities along affected areas of the oil development project in the Southern Highlands and Gulf provinces.

The vigorous performances of the crops were an eye opener for the participants as they could not believe their soil could produce temperate highlands vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, carrot and others.

During the training, Linibi introduced crops to the villagers, emphasised crops’ nutritional and monetary values, and demonstrated farming skills through a participatory approach which many appreciated.

Tommy Polang, Oil Search’s community development officer who was responsible for organising the training, told the aspiring vegetable farmers to take full advantage of the opportunity and utilise what they had learnt from the training in their own villages.

“You can cultivate vegetables and other food crops on your land, just like any PNG farmer,” Polang told participants.

He challenged them to take full responsibility in taking ownership and ensuring self-sustainability after the pilot phase.

He added that with the new developments in oil and gas projects, they would be faced with opportunities in spin-off benefits.

This is especially in terms of finding markets for their produce - which they should capture to support their livelihoods.

Polang called on the participants to be role models and pass on the skills to others in their respective villages, and most importantly, to work in groups and help one another.

 Linibi said the exercise was just a start in a small way but they could apply the principles in bigger ways, given their capacities.

Kikori villagers have hands-on training in transplanting broccoli seedlings with trainer and PNGWiADF president Maria Linibi (centre) at Kitomape near Kikori station in the Gulf province

 She advised that they should initiate and start something for themselves before calling for assistance.

She also urged the participants to work in groups and form cooperatives and capture opportunities outside of the project areas.

Many of the participants showed appreciation and expressed that the training would change their livelihoods.

Dorothy Foroua, a woman leader from Irimuku, said their food resources were fish, sago and leaves from the bush but with the training gave them new alternatives.

Oil Search provided vegetable seeds and tools.

The vegetable training has three components, two of which (nursery and transplanting), have been successfully completed.

 The third phase is post-harvest which is expected to be done in November when the vegetables are ready for harvest.

During the first phase, Linibi demonstrated a technology on plant-derived pesticides which farmers can develop and use from locally available resources such as neem tree, derris (posin diwai) and chili.

In the second phase, she supplied seeds of upland rice varieties, corn and mung beans provided by NARI and seeds of neem tree for formulating home-made pesticides.

Other initiatives under Oil Search Gobe’s sustainability programme include rehabilitation of old coffee blocks and establishment of coffee nursery with some 6,000 seedlings in Erave, Southern Highlands, with the involvement of Coffee Industry Corporation.

Aitape farmers support cocoa development, not oil palm

By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL

Landowners in the Sandaun province have called on the government to conduct regular monitoring of major agro-forestry projects.

They say that relevant government agencies including Department of Agriculture and Livestock, PNG Forest Authority and the respective provincial administration should take the lead in the monitoring programme.

The issue was raised recently during a review meeting of the agro-forestry oil palm project in the Pai resource area in Aitape district.

The meeting was attended by landowner representatives, DAL, PNGFA, developer and the district administration.

Landowners give their views during the review meeting in Aitape town

Aitape-Lumi district administrator Timothy Teklan chaired the meeting.

The meeting at Aitape concluded with a recommendation for the oil palm project to be scrapped in favour of cocoa and other potential crops including rubber.

The meeting also agreed to set up a review and monitoring committee comprising of various government agencies in Sandaun and Aitape district administration to coordinate the monitoring exercise.

 The meeting recommended that the developer produce and submit a land use development plan for integrated agriculture development project which would encompass cocoa, rubber and other suitable crops.

The review meeting had been organised to discuss the past activities of the agro-forestry project focusing on oil palm development and to discuss the way forward.

There is a need to assess if the cocoa or oil palm is economical and financially viable, and has high/low environmental implications.

Most people were familiar with cocoa and know that capital input was much less than oil palm.

The review was also to assess the commitment and capacity of the developer on the changes of land use.

DAL deputy secretary for technical services Francis Daink attended the meeting and took note of the concerns raised by the landowners and the recommendations made.

Daink emphasised the need for establishment of the monitoring committee to be coordinated and chaired by the district administration.

Daink stressed that in such projects the district administration, especially the programme manager, played an important role in monitoring and reporting.

National DAL will rely on district programme managers to provide reports as and when required.

He said the government had scarce resources to provide services and needs to bring in investors from abroad that have technical skills and capital to partner with and assist the government to bring development.

Cocoa is also a priority crop which falls in well with the provincial plan to give recognition to West Sepik province as a major cocoa-growing region.

Chairman of landowner company Mete Holdings Ltd, Samson Kupu said the other factor that would really affect oil palm development was the location of the project area - situated in the head waters - which would definitely pollute all the big and small rivers where most people had accessibility for their daily needs.

He said that after his visit to NBPOL oil palm operations in West New Britain province and discussions with PNG Oil Palm Research Association, he had found out that there were some serious issues which would really affect the development of oil palm in Aitape.

These issues included lack of adequate technical expertise; most skilled personnel may be joining the PNG LNG project which offers attractive pay and conditions; availability of state land for development; suitable port facilities and market availability.

Aitape Oil Palm Ltd project consultant, Dr Felix Moh, said the developer company needed the support of all stakeholders including government, landowners and the general public to conduct its operations in the agro-forestry development.

Daink (centre) accompanied by Teklan (third from right) Dr Moh (third from left) Kupu (far right) and other officials inspect the oil palm nursery. Landowners are now seeking to plant cocoa instead of oil palm

The developer supported the desires of the government and the landowners to benefit from any agro-forestry project.

He said the developer would consider any outcomes from the meeting before making a final decision.

Many speakers at the meeting said they were now unsure of the oil palm project and would be willing to switch to cocoa and rubber.

Some said their land was unsuitable for oil palm but good for cocoa and other crops.

Others said cocoa had been grown for many years in Aitape and the people did not need further training.

In addition, cocoa prices were more attractive and most farmers were now venturing into cocoa production.