PNGRFL divided

Northern and Islands zone affiliates hold AGM in defiance of deferral

 

THE Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) has yet another court battle looming after affiliates from the Islands and Northern zone held the originally proposed annual general meeting in Lae on Sunday, The National reports.

 This was in apparent defiance of an earlier edict by PNGRFL interim committee chairman John Numapo and chief operating officer Joe Tokam, who deferred the Nov 28 AGM to Jan 30.

But the Islands zone affiliates led by East New Britain rugby league president David Carroll said they were only following a court order in assembling for the meeting.

The gathering duly elected Bryan Kramer as the only nominee for the position of chairman present.

This was chaired by Momase police regional legal officer Chief Insp Richard Sarendou.

However, Sunday’s event have been roundly criticised by PNGRFL committee members – and nominees for the chairmanship – John Numapo and Gary Juffa.

Numapo described what transpired in Lae as an illegal gathering and that it did not represent the majority of affiliates around the country.

“The meeting was not legal. Most leagues around the country have not yet completed their affiliation requirements so how can we have a quorum for an AGM?”

He said the majority of leagues in the highlands were still in the process of affiliating and that was why he and Tokam had called for an adjournment of the AGM to January.

Numapo claimed the deferral was constitutional saying as interim committee chairman he had the power to defer the AGM or if the affiliates gathered did not form a quorum, which is 50% plus one of affiliated leagues. 

“Competitions have just wound down in most places and we need to give everyone an opportunity to participate in the AGM,” Numapo said.

However, the Islands and Northern bloc countered by saying all its leagues had followed a court order dating from July which was agreed to by disputing factions of the PNGRFL power struggle.

“We are merely following a court order that directs that the AGM be held no later than Nov 30 and if the others want to dispute that, then let them take it to court,” Carroll said.

He added that if the majority of affiliates in the Islands and Northern zones could fulfil their requirements, then why was it that the Highlands and Southern were lagging behind?

But Numapo has already questioned how many leagues are actually affiliated saying the number was four which he said was a true representation of the leagues in PNG.

He further called for the deferral to be respected and for all interested nominees along with leagues to attend the AGM next year.

Meanwhile, the resolution reached at Sunday’s meeting is currently before a judge (named) who is expected to rule on the original date which was adhered to as per the court order.

 

 

Bougainville mine 'to reopen next year'

BCL shareholders laud breakthrough with landowners

 

THE European shareholders of Bougainville Copper (ESBC) have welcomed the breakthrough achieved by the Panguna landowners’ conference in Buka regarding the re-opening of the Panguna mine, The National reports.

This historical decision was reached on Sunday when landowners agreed to re-open the mine towards the end of next year.

ESBC president Axel Sturm said they were very satisfied with this outcome.

“This gives Bougainville the chance to recover financially from all suffering in the last 20 years.

“I am very grateful to the Minister of Bougainville Affairs Fidelis Semoso that he finally pushed things cogently forward by organising this conference.

“We are also glad that the Autonomous Bougainville Government assisted in this important undertaking,” he said.

Sturm said he appreciated Semoso’s courage to face this sensitive issue “without any fear or prejudice”.

“Next year would bring giant investment to the island and many people who are jobless now would soon find work,” Sturm said.

“This makes me very happy especially for the young generation on Bougainville who would benefit from the decisions on this historic weekend,” he said.

 

 

Madang is 'cowboy country'

A PASTOR conducting Sunday sermon and members of his congregation were assaulted, his church destroyed and at least 10 PMV buses sustained various damages after drunk youths went on a vehicle-stoning rampage near Madang, The National reports.

Yesterday, Madang police chief Supt Anthony Wagambie warned of a police raid to flush out the culprits hiding in the problematic settlements at Mero bridge, on the road leading out of town towards the Bogia highway.

Police said the churchgoers were innocent victims of a group whose bus had been stoned and were in hot pursuit of those responsible who had fled in the direction of the church and had gone into hiding nearby.

Madang police station commander Snr Insp Steven Kaipa said after a fruitless search for the stone throwers, the angry mob turned on the churchgoers, attacking them and assaulting the pastor after dragging him from the pulpit.

He said the nearby community then took the law into their own hands, throwing stones and missiles at town-bound PMV buses, damaging at least 10 of them.

In retaliation, bus operators and their relatives, numbering about 200 and armed with various weapons, converged at Jomba police station to say they were raiding Mero and Public Tank settlements, home to mainly Sepik River migrants.

Kaipa said police had to cool tempers but warned that tensions were still high, adding that another stoning incident would turn into an all-out ethnic clash at these settlements.

Wagambie agreed, saying something drastic must be done about the Public Tank and Mero settlers.

He recalled a similar incident last month when more than 15 cars were damaged by stone-throwing youths in the area, resulting in police raiding the settlements to round up suspects.

Police believed Sunday’s attack was sparked by a group of youths from the settlement who had been drinking homebrew. Some in the group stoned a passing 8A bus, owned by a Western Highlander, heading to town from Sagalau market.

Wagambie claimed that the Sepik settlers were known for harrassing, attacking and robbing motorists and passengers using this section of the North Coast road.

He said police knew the names of three suspects and were looking for them.

Early this year, Madang Governor Sir Arnold Amet also called for zero-tolerance from landowners in a bid to evict squatters in light of rising criminal activities.

In 2000, his predecessor James Yali carried out a mass eviction on settlements in the town area.

Last week, Wagambie and Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather announced that a five-member special response unit would patrol the North Coast highway.

 

 

Councillor compares his K50-a-month to an MP's pay rise

By JAMES APA GUMUNO

 

A COUNCILLOR from the Southern Highlands said the K50 he received as a monthly allowance from the government was a joke, The National reports.

Former council president for Lake Kopiago local level government and current councillor for Kopiago station Tom  Pakale told The National in Mt Hagen yesterday that councillors and national parliamentarians carry the mandate of the people, but their monthly allowance was a joke compared to what MPs get.

Pakale, who claimed to speak on behalf of 16 other councillors back in the remote Southern Highlands’ Kopiago district, said the councillors were finding it very hard to survive on a K50 allowance with the increasing prices for goods and services.

He said councillors in this remote district spent K60 on PMV fares one way into Mendi to collect their monthly allowances.

Pakale said they would spent K120 to travel long distances just to collect K50 every month, which is a joke and an insult to the councillors.

He said councillors were grouped in the third tier of government and lived and dealt directly with the people and, therefore, faced more challenges and headaches than national parliamentarians.

But their allowance did not commensurate with their responsibilities.

Pakale said it was not fair to the councillors when parliamentarians, provincial administrators, chief judge, deputy chief judge, chief magistrate and others classified as appointed officers, who were on good pay and privileges, had a pay increase by 52.08%.

He said for fairness, all councillors must paid K150 or K200 a fortnight.

He said they too have families to look after and children to send to school.

 

 

Talks to review Panguna deal

By STEPHANIE ELIZAH

 

DISCUSSIONS to allow for a review of the Bougainville Copper Agreement is in progress with landowners from the mining lease areas of the Panguna mine encouraged to unite under one umbrella company, The National reports.

President John Momis said the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) was working hard to encourage the landowners to unite so that they could speak and be heard in one voice.

“I am satisfied we are doing okay,” he said, adding that he believed a memorandum of understanding would be reached soon with the Panguna landowners as part of the process towards allowing for a review of the Bougainville Copper Agreement.

“We need to get the mine reopened. It will kick-start developments in Bougainville,” Momis said.

“At this time, we have not negotiated with potential developers but we have spoken with the chairman of Bougainville Copper Ltd and made known to him to respect the interest of the stakeholders, including the PNG government.”

He said he was confident that the government, with a vast mining industry, would extend its support to the autonomous region “to access the reservoir of knowledge and experience with regards to mine issues”.

Momis appealed to landowners on Bougainville to work together in re-building its peace and economy.

He added that the last thing he wanted was instability on Bougainville.

Bougainville deputy administrator for policy Raymond Masono said money was needed to conduct awareness on various ABG programmes, including weapons disposal and reconciliation.

“Weapons disposal remains a priority for the ABG.

“What it requires now is a weapons disposal plan and funding of about K6 million,” he said.

Masono said the reconciliation programme was also a priority which would require about the same amount of funding.

“Without peace and weapons disposal, economic development will not progress,” he added.

Panel set up to investigate Baki

AN investigation team has been established by the national government to probe allegations leveled against suspended Police Commissioner Gari Baki, The National reports.

The team led by former counsel of the Ombudsman Commission and former judge Nemo Yalo, also have PNG Trade Union and Public Employees Association president Michael Malabag and businessman Allan Bird have been given two weeks to submit their findings to acting chief secretary to government Manasupe Zurenuoc.

The acting chief secretary will then make a report to cabinet for further deliberations and actions.

The allegations against the suspended commissioner were raised in a letter dated Nov 4, by the prime minister which will form the basis of the investigations.

The letter had alleged that Baki had misled the government and other senior government officers in allocating K10 million for LNG operations.

The prime minister in a separate letter to the then Public Service Minister Peter O’Neill on the same date instructed the Department of Personnel Management to facilitate the suspension of Baki.

The allegations raised were that the commissioner had allowed the police force to run down and there was a general break-down in law and order.

The same letter to O’Neill gave instructions for personnel management to prepare instruments to appoint Tony Wagambie and Fred Yakasa as acting commissioner and deputy commissioner respectively.

The national executive council a couple of days later on Nov 8 suspended Baki and endorsed the acting appointments.

Zurenuoc could not be reached for comments and terms of reference of the investigations and the cost involved in the two weeks investigation.

A milestone for Madang Teachers’ College and University of Goroka

The first 10 Bachelor of Education (Primary) graduates at the MTC graduation last Friday

Madang Teachers’ College (MTC) and the University of Goroka (UOG) jointly witnessed the graduation of 10 Bachelor of Education (Primary) students at the Madang Teachers’ College 47th graduation ceremony last Friday. The result of a partnership between UOGand MTC, the students were the first intake for the Bachelor of Education (Primary) pre-service course for MTC after completing their first two years of study at UOG.
This is the first group of course graduates in the histories of both MTC and UOG.
Pro Chancellor of the University of Goroka Jerry Tetaga was present at the graduation where he gave the official address on behalf of UOG.
Tetaga said the council of UOG was focused on producing “graduates who can go out and teach good values to our children; the graduation between UOG and MTC is a special milestone”.
Guest of honour, Dr Gairo Onagi, said it was “not an affiliation but a partnership and collaboration with MTC that had made history”.
He said the status of MTC was elevated with the help of UOG.
Dr Onagi said UOG could not alone meet the government’s high demand for teachers, so one institution complimented the other.
Principal of Madang Teachers’ College, Stephen Potek, said MTC was very grateful to UOG for the partnership and would continue to graduate quality teachers with their help.
A record number of 447 students graduated at MTC on the day.