9 New Year babies delivered in Goroka

By ZACHERY PER

 

GOROKA Base General Hospital, Eastern Highlands, has delivered a total of nine babies on the New Year’s Day, The National reports.

Staff at the labour ward confirmed nine babies were born to mothers from different parts of the province

The heaviest was a baby girl that weighed 3.9kg and was born to a young mother Gahame Tatape from upper Bena in Unggai-Bena district, Eastern Highlands.

She was delivered at around 8.30pm on Saturday. No complications were encountered for the nine babies, however the staffer did not disclose how many baby boys and girls were born.

The first baby to be delivered after the clock struck midnight was to mother Kokoe Moxy of Arufa village on an eastern outskirts village of Goroka towards upper Bena.

Moxy delivered a baby boy weighing 3.3kg at 2.40am.

When The National was at the labour ward in the morning on the New Year’s Day, staff at the ward were waiting for a long time before delivering the next baby after delivering the first one at 2.40 am.

It is understood a good number of New Year babies were born in some of the rural health centres in the eight districts in the province.

Numerous attempts to confirm the number of New Year babies at Kundiawa General Hospital, Chimbu, were unsuccessful.

 

Happy New Year Wish

My Happy New Year wish for you

Is for your best year yet,

A year where life is peaceful,

And what you want, you get.

A year in which you cherish

The past year’s memories,

And live your life each new day,

Full of bright expectancies.

I wish for you an exciting year

With happiness galore;

And when it’s done, I wish for you

So many more.

Somare may be back as prime minister

Sideline Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare may be back sooner than you thought, according to the weekly Sunday Chronicle newspaper.

The paper quoted reliable sources with Prime Minister’s and National Executive Council as saying that “Sir Michael was ill-advised by his legal team to step aside at the first place”.

“He has been wrongly advised by his legal team,” the source said.

Sunday Chronicle said: “Sir Michael stepped aside last Dec 17 after public prosecutor Jim Wala Tamate referred him to the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia to set up a leadership tribunal to inquire into charges that Sir Michael did not submit financial returns over a number of years.

“However, it has now come to light that legal advice may have been wrong for the Prime Minister to step aside before the Chief Justice’s action to set up the tribunal.”

 

Governor Amet visits Manam

By MALUM NALU

Following the surveillance carried out on Boxing Day with Herman Tibong, the resident volcano observer for Rabaul Volcano Observatory (RVO), Sir Peter flew Governor Sir Arnold Amet, Peter Torot and Tibong for a further inspection of Manam to assess the danger of people remaining on the Island.

Smoke billows from Manam volcano.-Pictures courtesy of Sir PETER BARTER

“The Governor and Peter Torot visited Dugalava, Border, Bien and Tabele to guage the reaction of the people, most of whom were concerned about a catastrophic eruption and their concerns were put at rest that no immediate danger exists, but they were warned not to walk into valleys or tend gardens on the slopes,” Sir Peter said today (Sunday).

Madang Governor Sir Arnold Amet (centre) talking to Manam islanders

He said he had purchased a replacement battery for the seismic equipment and when installed it would allow the RVO to monitor the activity of Mamam more scientifically.
“The battery and charger was given to Herman Tibong,” Sir Peter said.

Sir Peter Barter’s helicopter against the backdrop of the smoking Manam volcano

“The situation remains much the same at Level 3 being declared by the RVO.”

Kickboxer Arang calls it a day

By MALUM NALU

03mnarang: Kartu Arang (right) with his Sydney-based manager Glick Lambea

Australia-based Papua New Guinea professional kick boxer/boxer Kartu ‘Wantok Warrior’ Arang has decided to hang up his gloves after an outstanding career spanning 12 years.
Arang, from Kabwum in Morobe province and a product of the Stanley Nandex stable, had his last fight in Melbourne on Nov 26 last year.
“I decided to hang the gloves after my last fight in Melbourne on Nov 26, 2010, which I won after after six brutal rounds against Irish champion Scott McLoughin,” he said.
“This was an opportunity to bring my career to an end with style.”
Southern highlander Glick Lambea, employed by Westpac in Syndey and who has been Arang’s manager in Australia, is proud of his achievements.
“I’ve been Kartu’s manager for the last three years and I’m proud to have led a very talented and patriotic Papua New Guinean,” he said.
“I’m helping Kartu to manage the transition from his boxing life into a new chapter in his life.
“In the 12 years during Kartu’s fighting career he has won the following titles:
• Australian WKA Title;
• Australian ISKA Title;
• New South Wales State Title;
• PNG Kick Boxing Title; and
• World WKBF Title
“Additionally Kartu participated in 54 non \-title fights including professional boxing and kick boxing of which he won 35 fights, eight draws and 11 losses.’
“These are exceptional achievements and that shows the level of commitment and passion Kartu has for what he does in his life.
“I’m helping Kartu to leverage that passion and commitment to be successful in what ever he sets out to do in his post boxing life.”

Volcano erupts on Manam Island

By SIR PETER BARTER

Smoke emanates from Manam Island volcano on Dec 30, 2010.-Picture courtesy of SIR PETER BARTER

Manam Island in Madang province began a series of eruptions on Christmas Day and activities continued up until Dec 30 when larger eruptions occurred resulting in some panic by people that have returned to Manam Island.
At Dugalava, a spokesman for the people told the provincial disaster office and Sir Peter Barter that more than 1, 000 people needed to be evacuated and similar stories emerged from other villages right around the Island.
Sir Peter released funds to purchase petrol and diesel and the provincial disaster office drove the fuel to Bogia overnight so that evacuations could take place at day break if necessary.
Both the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and acting Prime Minister Sam Abal were advised and contact was made with the director of the PNG National Disaster service, Martin Mose, who has since despatched the operations manager to coordinate activities in Madang.
Due to heavy rain, Sir Peter delayed departure from Madang, but flew to Bogia to pick up the Rabaul Observatory officer Herman Tibong together with a representative of the provincial disaster and Bogia administration and flew to Manam for an aerial inspection.
Whilst there was evidence of lava flow in two valleys, most of the villages were intact and the eruption had subsided.
The Rabaul Observatory increased the level to “3” which basically warns people not to climb to higher gardens or walk into or across the valleys in fear of lava flow.
The team accompanying Sir Peter advised the people that there appeared no immediate danger providing precautions were followed and the people were assured that the situation would continue to be closely monitored.

Villagers surround Sir Peter's helicopter on Manam Island

Following the visit to Manam, returning the officials to Bogia, Sir Peter made quick stops at Asuramba, Malala, Mangem to assure the people there was no immediate danger but the National Disaster Office along with Rabaul Observatory would consider further actions if and where necessary.
Sir Peter has recommended that Radio Madang be put back on air immediately so people on Manam could be kept advised.
Clearly they were frightened, many demanding to be relocated to the mainland.
Sir Peter said that unless some arrangements were made for shelter and food evacuating people could result in serious problems, especially given the fact it was a holiday weekend and it would be difficult to get services delivered.
The Manus Border barge was placed on alert in the event it was necessary to evacuate Manam.

Australia-Papua New Guinea relations in 2011

By JOHN PASQUARELLI

John Pasquarelli

2011 will deliver more of the same and nothing will change unless ordinary Australians step up to the plate.

It’s a desperate time for those flooded-out Australians but not a squeak from any politician about the need for revolutionary water infrastructure measures that would reshape our population and agriculture policies before the next drought arrives.
Kevin Rudd has committed Australian taxpayers to billions of dollars of foreign aid hand-outs while many home-grown Australians go under.
The plight of outback Aboriginal Australians is perpetuated by continuing lunatic separatism while a new generation of ‘paler’ Aborigines compete for the generous spoils handed out by the Left.
Australia’s most immediate foreign policy concerns are very close to home – in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and other struggling Pacific Island countries.
There is not one MP who can speak with knowledge and authority about the problems that are becoming more urgent involving our close neighbours and all we ever get is regurgitated waffle from some DFAT bureaucrat.
Australia must reassess its relations with PNG as the distribution of the huge wealth that abounds in that country is jeopardised by an increasing influence from China and a continuing disintegration of law and order and the health of its citizens.
Australia can still play a major role in the training of PNG nationals at all levels and as they say – the sooner the better.