Hela boss wants gas revenue locked in

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

HELA Transitional Authority chairman James Marape has recommended the HTA embrace the Hela long-term development plan to lock in gas revenue to realise the proposed Hela province’s development aspirations, The National reports.

Marape said the LNG revenue must be locked in for development in line with the long-term plans and not controlled by politicians.

He said the next six months would be critical as HTA’s task was to have nationwide consultations with its people and stakeholders including the elite Hela working class, students, youths, churches, women and leaders on the long-term plan for Hela province.

The chairman of HTA and member for Tari-Pori said this when announcing that the HTA had passed a K23 million budget to ensure infrastructures were in place for a full provincial status for Hela province by 2012.

The K23 million was allocated by the national government in this year’s budget for physical infrastructure and public service structure in preparation for the provincial status.

Marape said the appropriation was to put in place structures for a new province by 2012 and to ensure that the province gets maximum benefit from the LNG project and not squandering the wealth created from their gas.

The break-up included K1 million to each for office rehabilitation in each of the three district offices, K200, 000 each to the 16 local level governments (LLGs) for the setting up of LLG assemblies, K250, 000 for a youth centre in Tari, K250, 000 to the Hela council of churches, K250, 000 to the council of women and K3 million for the construction of the HTA office complex in Tari.

 

 

Bombom confirms attack

By PEARSON KOLO

 

KEREMA Open MP Pitom Titus Bombom confirmed yesterday that some frustrated members of his electorate had attacked him at Kaintiba last Thursday where he had gone to celebrate the 35th Independence Day anniversary celebrations, The National reports.

Bombom said this in a statement after yesterday’s front page story in the two daily newspapers which said he was assaulted at the station.

“I was not seriously assaulted or ran away as claimed by the two daily newspapers,” he said.

“In fact, the incident actually happened and I only sustained a scratch on the right cheek caused by a bamboo which was thrown at me by a member of the public.”

Bombom said even after the attack, he stood and faced his people and addressed them.

He claimed that a small group of people who were supporters of the Kaintiba local level government, Jerry Yeninga, had tried to attack him.

Bombom said he had travelled to Kaintiba with one policeman and a Kerema district officer.

“My people want to see me more often then as been the case and I understand that but certain circumstances and situations have not allowed that,” he said.

The MP said he had been going in and out of his electorate, including Kaintiba, regularly, providing basic services since he was elected three years ago.

Bombom blamed Gulf Governor Havila Kavo for being assaulted.

He urged the Gulf government to assist the open electorates and district with service delivery.

Coffee pulpers and sewing machines donation

By SAM BASIL
Bulolo MP

Testing coffee pulpers with some coffee beans while Yapleh Gilimbing looks on

Well, the coffee beans look OK!

See for yourself!

Handing out the sewing machines to the Bundun women's group

Bundun is a small village alongside the Bulolo National Highway, Ward 2,  of the Mumeng local level government headed by LLG president Mathias Phillip.
Yapleh Gilimbing,  a local leader from Bundun village, took ownership of a rundown coffee plantation with his clansmen some 15 years ago and needed coffee pulpers to process wet beans.
Through the district's district support improvement programme (DSIP) funds,  I have made available coffee pulpers for men and sewing machines for women.
The sewing machines can be used by the women’s group to raise their own funds  by sewing  uniforms or mending villagers' clothes while coffee pulpers will process the coffee much quickly to generate more income by a man as head of the family.
The Bundun ceremony was brief but I really admired the job done by the building team of erecting the pulpers.
The ceremony ended and we had to proceed down the hill to open the Omalai footbridge project.

Omolai footbridge opening

By SAM BASIL
Bulolo MP

Bulolo MP Sam Basil opening the Omolai footbridge

Being a businessman from Bulolo district I have been engaged with the people from my district since 1996 in terms of providing essential community projects such as water supply, footbridge and other donations such as sewing machines to women’s groups, coffee pulpers to community groups and sporting gear to local sporting organisations at local level government level.

Singsing towards the footbridge project site

The Omalai footbridge was originally built by Armsec’s maintenance team in 2001 just before the 2002 national elections, which I contested, and lost.
I can remember back in 2001 we opened the old Omalai footbridge with the same bamboo band style and the great local people we met.

Receiving bilums from Omalai mothers, their apreciation for the project second time around

Many little children back then in 2001 are all over eight years old or older this very day.
The original Omalai footbridge got washed out four months ago and it was very timely for me now as their local MP to take charge to get the bridge back in order.

Villagers trying out the new Omolai footbridge

The new footbridge is two metres taller than the old washed-out footbridge to avoid another wash-out.
We were welcomed by the locals and accompanied by the Mumeng LLG president Mathias Phillip and Watut LLG president Waka Daman.

Kek Riggers & Footbridges contractors packing and ready to move to the next project site.

This included the press group.
The singsing group led us to the project site followed by their one and only bamboo band.

Couldn't sit down have to eat my kaukau while watching the Omalai Bamboo Band hammering out its tunes

Band members have to hammer chords out of the soft ground to produce each chord required by the band master, armed with his flutes.
Each chord consists of five or less bamboos tuned and stringed together to produce specific chords.
I believe this style is unique to PNG among many other undiscovered musical cultures of the country.
The local pastor conducted the dedication service with prayers followed by speeches by Mumeng and Watut LLG presidents,  who supported the programme and urged the people to take care of this important investment.
The footbridge will serve over 300 people who will use it for transporting their alluvial gold, vegetables for Lae and roadside markets and also to access schools, aid posts and other essential services.
During my speech,  I  urged villagers to take care of the bridge for another eight years or so.

A sewing machine and a coffee pulper were handed out to the women's and men's group during the bridge ceremony

I reminded them that this was my second footbridge project as a person and first as an MP and would be committed to continue to come back and fix the footbridge whenever required.
A sewing machine for the Omalai women’s group and a coffee pulpers for Omalai community were presented after the footbridge ceremony.
The event finished off with some local dishes to the tune of the local bamboo band which I later joined, playing the bass chord.

Finally joined the band with the bass bamboo tubes

Mona from Morobe National Broadcasting Commission did some recordings and re-played it over Radio Morobe during the independence weekend.

MMV donates to Mumeng police barracks

Members of the police force and the new houses against a panoramic Mumeng background

By SAM BASIL
Bulolo MP

Bulolo MP Sam Basil talks about the need to make his electorate a better and safer place to live and work in

The new Mumeng station will be one of the fastest-developing stations in Bulolo district after its re-location from its old location which was devastated by the Kumalu River some six years ago.
The station will in the future serve the population of Mumeng, Buang and parts of Wampar local level government in terms of court circuits, lock-ups, shops, post office, service stations and other essential services that a small township can offer.
Landowners of Wafi have shown interest in having some spin-offs from the Wafi mine development to be directed towards the station and is supported by my office.
In late 2007, Morobe Tutumang,  of which I am a member,  approved K500, 000 from the Morobe provincial government 2010 for the construction of those five houses for police in Mumeng station.

Guests taking a tour of the new houses

Construction started in late 2008 and finished early 2010.
The houses were vacant for at least a year until my joint district planning and budget prioritees committee (JDP&BPC) approved the K2m law and order programme.

Guests led by Bulolo MP Sam Basil finish in specting one of the new houses

Part of the funding covered the new police station of Mumeng including furniture , computers and networking software.
JDP&BPC also funded fencing and white goods.
There is a pavement from the driveway into the house and EMTV broadcasting systems for the station.
Law and order is of a concern to all stake holders in the district and the district must be seen to work hand-in-hand with all stake holders.
Morobe Mining Joint Ventures (MMJV) stepped in with the purchase of six new Tuffa tanks, six electric water pumps and plumbing to help fasttrack the development.

Representatives from MMJV

MMJV community affairs manager Stanley Komunt spoke on behalf of the company and stressed that MMJV was keen on being a partner in such projects.
He said the company's donation showed its commitment to the district and the government of Papua New Guinea.

Morobe PPC Peter Guiness makes a point at the gathering

He officially handed over MMJV’s donations.
Morobe provincial police commander Supt Peter Guiness praised MMJV for its timely donation and assured the district and MMJV that he would source policemen for the rural police programmes to come to Mumeng and reside there to conduct their duties.
It is planned that under the K2m budget, a police vehicle including annual running costs, driver's allowances, 10 community police uniforms and monthly allowances, three firearms (a bolt action high powered rifle, pump action shot gun and a gas gun) and ammunition.
The police station will be under the command of a regular senior constable who will be based in Mumeng.
A total of seven areas have been targeted:

• Wau Rural LLG (Biaru-based);
• Wau Town (markets and shop-based);
• Bulolo Town (market and shopping area-based);
• Upper Watut LLG (Manianda-based);
• Buang LLG;
• Mumeng LLG (Mumeng-based); and
• Mumeng Station command (Mumeng-based).

From a call out there will be more than 70 men armed with 21 firearms ready to take on any problems before reinforcements arrive,  all for K2m with annual funding to sustain operational costs.

2010 Hiri Hanenamo queen

And, the winner is ... Kaia Morea Hila, 22, from Hanuabada representing Poreporena Lahara, is the 2010 Hiri Hanenamo queen.
She was announced winner by Justice Minister Ano Pala at the Sir Hubert Murray stadium during the final day of the Hiri Moale festival yesterday. 
Hila is a final-year diploma in business accounting student at the Port Moresby Business College. 
With tears of joy, she said: “I owe it to my parents, my family and loved ones. I can’t believe it, it is a dream come true.”-Nationalpic by EKAR KEAPU

Kerema MP bashed in rural Kaintiba

By PEARSON KOLO

 

KEREMA MP Pitom Titus Bombom is nursing a bruised body after his constituents in the Kainteba district attacked him when he flew there last Thursday to celebrate the 35th Independence Day anniversary, The National reports.

More than 300 men, women and children were at the airstrip to welcome him but a group set upon him with sticks and stones as he stepped off the plane.

Last night, Bombom, a first-term MP, was nursing a cut to the right upper chin and a bamboo spear wound on his back.

According to eyewitnesses, police security and others who had escorted the MP on the chartered flight fled as soon as the attack started.

Bombom ran into a makeshift shelter but a group from the crowd followed him there and continued attacking him with sticks and stones, they said, adding that he could have been beaten unconscious.

Someone from the crowd threw a bamboo spear at the member, hitting him on the back

Luckily for Bombom, police officers, who had travelled separately to Kaintiba with Gulf Governor Havila Kavo earlier, intervened and chased away the violent mob, saving him from further attacks.

The Kaintiba, or Kanabea people, who live in the mountains bordering Gulf, Eastern Highlands and Morobe, are part of the Kerema Open electorate and they are culturally different from the coastal constituents.

They said Bombom had not visited them since winning the Kerema seat in the 2007 general elections.

Kaintiba local level government president Jerry Yeninga was evidently angry with the MP who, he claimed, had continuously lied to his people about providing them basic services.

“No one has organised the people to bash up the member, it was unplanned,” Yeninga said at the weekend.

“They have shown their frustration on the member for continuously lying to them and not even visiting them or providing a single project or development in Kaintiba.”

Yeninga said the people were equally frustrated with Bombom’s recent involvement in the Gulf provincial politics where a vote of no-confidence was taken to depose Kavo and name him as alternate governor until the courts intervened to restore Kavo as head of the province.

He said the Kaintiba leaders had urged their MP to make peace with Kavo in Kaintiba and demanded that he delivered on his failed promises.

“It is almost four years and Bombom has not provided a single service to Kaintiba,” Yeninga said.

The attack disrupted the Independence Day programme in Kaintiba but Kavo, who went to the area separately, restored order and addressed the people.

Bombom, still shocked but recovered from the attack, was given time to address the crowd but did not say much and left soon after with his delegation.