Hillary Clinton arrives in Port Moresby today

UNITED States secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton will arrive in Port Moresby today, The National reports.

Clinton is expected at about 4pm for a four-hour visit before leaving for New Zealand and Australia concluding her Asia-Pacific tour.

Details of her visit had been withheld by the US embassy for security reasons.

However, it was understood that the visit would focus on US assistance to PNG and discussing climate change and women issues.

During her meeting with Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, Clinton will discuss the energy governance and capacity initiative (EGCI), the US embassy said in a media statement yesterday.

EGCI is a US department of state-led global effort to provide a range of valuable technical support to governments of selected countries that are on the verge of becoming the world’s next generation of oil and gas producers.

“As Papua New Guinea begins to develop its liquefied natural gas (LNG) resources, the US state department hopes to assist the PNG government, especially the Department of Petroleum and Energy as well as tax and finance agencies, to maximise value and efficiency of oil and gas production and revenue flows,” the statement added.

It said EGCI would seek to bolster institutional capacities related to governance, revenue management and technical capability.

“EGCI will provide Papua New Guinea with access to top US government talent with unmatched global expertise on issues related to petroleum geology, upstream licensing, exploration and production operations, revenue management, sector regulation, policy reform and implementation and energy sector finance and tax structure.

“EGCI also builds both high-level and working contacts to offer unbiased, sound advice and guidance as well as lasting relationships that can further long-term institutional stability and sound sector governance,” the embassy said.  

After her arrival, the US secretary of state would pay a courtesy call on Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane at Government House and partake in a mangrove planting exercise at Idubada.

Climate change was also a key component of Clinton’s visit and she would hold talks on the issue with Sir Michael at Parliament House this evening.

She would also meet prominent PNG women leaders where issues on gender equality and nominated women representation in parliament would be discussed.

Lands Department accused of “corruption, negligence” in Western province

By MALUM NALU

Western province chamber of commerce and industry says Lands secretary Pepi Kimas may have been negligent when he issued leases over 1.25 million hectares of customary land in the North Fly district  on Sept 23 this year.

A landowners’ meeting, the subject of an AAP report published in The National last Friday, was told that there was prime facie evidence that Kimas and/or his responsible officers had acted “at best negligently and possibly corruptly” when he issued the three leases.

“Firstly, the lease over the 632,538 ha. In the Nomad District was issued by the secretary in the name of Tosigiba Investment Ltd,” chamber acting president Warren Dutton said yesterday (Tuesday, November 02, 2010).

“The chairman of the Tosigiba Timber Group Ltd, which was incorporated 1996, and which has 79 of its 82 issued shares held by integrated land groups (ILGs) which represent the customary landowners of much but definitely all of the land included within the lease boundaries, told the meeting that he had no knowledge of or connection with Tosigiba Investment Ltd, in whose name the lease over his people’s land had been issued.

“Secondly, the chairman and others from the Nomad area told the meeting that they had negotiated with the proposed developer to give them (timber) rights over a corridor 5km either side of the road alignment, which the developer agreed to construct in consideration for those rights.”

Dutton said the area over which they had agreed to give these rights would be approximately 100,000ha; however, Kimas had issued a special agricultural and business lease for 99 years over all the land owned by all of the members of all the 79 ILGs.

He said this included all of the land of all of all of the other villages living in the Nomad district who were not party to the negotiations for the road alignment.

“Not one village house, nor one sago tree is excluded from this lease,” Dutton said.

“The lease is also issued over the top of long-existing leases for mission purposes.

“How can the secretary of Lands be so credulous as to believe that any Papua New Guinean Villager would or could be prepared to cede absolutely all of his land to the State for 99 years?

“Surely he, or his responsible officers, should have referred back to the Kiunga and Nomad district lands officers for confirmation that all the villagers really did agree to give away absolutely all of their land.

“By not doing so, surely he has acted, at least, negligently in the performance of his statutory duties.”

Touched by a Kokoda angel

By MALUM NALU

The heartbreaking loss of an expectant young Kokoda woman in 2008 turns into a blessing for all of Kokoda on the inaugural Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels Day to be held there tomorrow.

The Kokoda ambulance at St John’s Ambulance yard at Rainbow in Port Moresby.-Picture by JEFF KEOUGH

Indilah Sakiki, from Waju village in Kokoda, died of cerebral malaria on July 22, 2008 and because of the transport difficulties in getting her to hospital.

Her death so touched Australian Jeff Keough, a good mate and former workmate of her husband Daniel Sakiki, that he started an organisation called Kokoda Angels to raise funds for an ambulance in memory of Indilah Sakiki for the people of Kokoda.

For the last two years, he has been single-handedly approaching people and organisations in Australia to help the people of Kokoda, the start of the famous Kokoda Track which saved Australia during World War 11.

Such has been the response that Keough has been able to bring a fully-kitted Toyota Landcruiser ambulance, the first of its kind in the country, into Port Moresby.

He was planning to fly into it into Kokoda today by helicopter, in time for Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels Day celebrations, however, a last-minute change of plans means the ambulance will be shipped into Popondetta on Nov 9 and then driven to Kokoda.

“Kokoda Angels started when my friend’s wife died of malaria seven months into her pregnancy,” Keough, who is married to a Papua New Guinean woman, told me.

“Because there was no vehicle in that area, I started a charity to raise support and get an ambulance vehicle and medical assistance.

“It’s been two years now since it was started.

“The vehicle has been here in Port Moresby, at St John’s Ambulance, for three months now, where we’ve been preparing it for Kokoda as well as trying to organise transport.”

Front view of the Kokoda ambulance

Keough said the ambulance would not have been possible without the help of Sandvik Mining (which donated the vehicle), Penrite, Kumho Tyres, Alltrac 4WD, Century Batteries, Roof Rack City, Terrain Tamer, Speedy Wheels, Variety Masters, Consort Shipping, SBS Electrical, St John’s Ambulance and South Australian premier Mike Rann.

“It will be used to support the 15 aids posts in ward 10, Kokoda,” he said.

“We’re working together with Kokoda Foundation, who have helped with supply of medical kits and we’ll be helping to transport patients.

“The truck is a mining service vehicle so it’s extra heavy-duty, has lock-up cabinets and we’ve put beds and canopy at the back for patients.

“It’s been fitted with a bulbar and winch, radio, spot lights and siren.”

Keough is no newcomer to PNG, having assisted PNG as a volunteer and aid worker during the 1994 volcanic eruptions in Rabaul, 1999 El Nino-induced drought, 1998 Aitape tsunami, 2007 Northern province cyclone and many others.

He asked people who were willing to assist Kokoda Angels to contact him on mobile 73368478 or visit its website http://www.kokodaangels.com.

‘Pink Ladies’ of Lae raise K11, 000 for cancer ward

By MALUM NALU

Lae Golf Club lady members last Saturday hosted a 'Pink Walk' to raise funds for the cancer ward at Angau Hospital.

The ‘Pink Ladies’ and children of Lae Golf Club after their fundraising walk which netted K11,000 for Angau Hospital’s cancer ward last Saturday.-Pictures by PETER BOYD

 With entry fees and business houses wholeheartedly supporting the event a total of K11, 000 was raised.

 Club captain Peter Boyd said a total 45 children and 30 adults – all dressed in pink – walked the course on a fine and sunny Lae day.

 “After the walk, a senior nurse from the cancer ward, Sr Doreen Pepi,  explained the symptoms and causes of cancer and stressed the importance of early detection,” he said.

 “Several of the ladies on the walk had faced cancer previously.

 “These ladies talked through there own experiences of battling this disease and it was an extremely moving to listen to these brave women.

 “The walk will become an annual event.”

 The walk was outstanding in that it was organised by an all-national women crew from the Lae Golf Club.

National Capital District receives Kingal

 Hundreds of Christians, tribesmen and women and curious members of the public turned up at the Jackson Airport yesterday afternoon to receive the remains of the late evangelist, Pastor Joseph Kingal, The National reports.

The casket was accompanied from Lae by the late pastor’s wife Susan and their children, friends and relatives and members of the Joseph Kingal Ministry. Kingal was killed in a vehicle accident at Zumim Bridge in Morobe. 

Today’s funeral service will be held at 1pm at the Assemblies of God Conner Stone church in Gordon.-Nationalpics by EKAR KEAPU

Rambi removed

Change in cabinet hits highlands MPs

THE Highlands faction of the National Alliance party suffered a blow yesterday when Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare “demoted” Internal Security Minister Sani Rambi, The National reports.

The prime minister called a meeting of cabinet ministers and announced he was removing Rambi as internal security minister. He moved Rambi to labour and industrial relations and switched Mark Maipakai to internal security.

The move created a murmur among MPs from the highlands region.

Sources told The National last night that Deputy Prime Minister Don Polye, who is deputy leader NA in charge of highlands region, was not consulted about the move.

A number of cabinet ministers contacted last night confirmed the change.

“It is the prerogative of the prime minister to make changes in cabinet,” a minister said when contacted last night.

The changes were unclear but sources said the police force would also see major changes to its hierarchy.

The move would trigger political ripples in the lead-up to the parliament sitting in two weeks, in which Speaker Jeffery Nape was certain to allow a notice on a vote of no-confidence in the prime minister on the floor of parliament.

There were concerns among government circles last night that such an action could provide the opening the opposition needed to talk to factions within government to give credibility to its move to oust the government.

Only last week, Rambi and Police Commissioner Gari Baki brought a submission to cabinet to secure K10 million to urgently fund police operations for the security of the PNG LNG project.

It was said the urgent submission was necessary because of threats by investors and companies involved in the LNG project to pull out due to law and order issues.

It was not clear if this would be followed through by Maipakai.

Rambi is the MP for Mul-Baiyer in the Western Highlands.

Together with Governor Tom Olga and Polye, they form the core of the strong presence of the National Alliance in the highlands region.

But, Rambi had, in the past, been accused of conflicts of interest where his hire car company had benefited financially from the presence and operations of police in the highlands region.

Rambi had maintained that he never used his position to benefit his vehicle hire company.

Prime Minister slams bid for super hospital

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare has slammed the proposed new K500 million super hospital being pushed by Health Minister Sasa Zibe, The National reports.

The hospital has the backing of Zibe and Planning Minister Paul Tiensten.

But the prime minister had directed that no more public funds be used to pay for the Pacific Medical Centre project.

He directed Zibe to redirect any funds committed to improving the provision of current public health services.

The proposed hospital had become political and a topic of debate among respected figures in the medical fraternity.

It was suggested in a paid newspaper advertisement last Friday that the prime minister had met and spoke to former US president Bill Clinton about the project in New York last year and both men were keen to see it get off the ground.

But, Sir Michael said in an Oct 20, 2010, letter to Zibe that he was not convinced about the usefulness of the project.

“The irony of the whole issue is that the national government cannot even maintain, at a respectable and physical level, the current hospitals and health facilities,” the prime minister stated in the letter.

“This is compounded by the fact that the national government cannot effectively deliver basic health services, let alone guarantee the supply of basic drugs to the public.

“And, yet, we want to build a new 300-bed international hospital?”

The prime minister said referral hospitals, provincial hospitals, district health centres and medical posts were currently in shameful dilapidated states.

“Basic drugs cannot be assured and delivered to these hospitals and health institutions and, yet, the national government wants to spend millions of kina on this project that has questionable value to our general populace.

“I am not convinced of the usefulness of this Pacific Medical Centre project at this stage.”

He said his office had gone through the submission and had found that the accompanying documents were “sugar coated” with the intention to deceive cabinet members to support the project.

He said many local and US/global partners, mentioned in the accompanying documentation as supporting the project, had since disclaimed their interests.