Boycott looms as students miss out

University and college entries up from 2010

 

ABOUT 200 teachers in Madang will not resume duties on Jan 31 if they do not receive their leave fares this week, The National reports.

The frustrated teachers yesterday gathered at the provincial education office seeking answers over the delay in their leave fares.

While in Chimbu, more than 120 Grade 10 students who have performed well would miss out on continuing to Grade 11 due to space shortage at the four secondary high schools.

Each school could only take in 40 students.

Provincial education adviser Essy Wal Kaima confirmed that the students did perform well in their examinations last year, but there were not enough Gr 11 spaces available.

He said another 20 students from Chimbu had been selected to do Gr 11 at the various national high schools in the country.

Meanwhile, the number of students entering universities and colleges this year had increased with 208 of them (out of 4,398) securing academic excellence scholarships.

Office of Higher Education (OHE) student support and scholarship branch director Joseph Morimai yesterday said 3,389 students nationwide had also made it into the higher education contribution assistance scheme (Hecas).

The remaining 801 students would be self-sponsored.

Morimai said out of the total number of students selected this year, 1,887 of them were females.

The OHE car park at Waigani, NCD, had been busy since Tuesday when the students’ lists went up for public viewing.

PNG Teachers Association (PNGTA) Momase region president Moses Gabougi said the teachers in Madang had been waiting since Dec 10 last year to return home for holidays.

“With only two weeks remaining before teachers resume duties, this group is still waiting for their leave fares.

“Madang teachers have been facing this problem for the last 10 years.

“If our other Momase provinces like Morobe and the Sepiks are doing okay, why is Madang still facing late leave fares problem?”

Gabougi said PNGTA executives would meet with the affected teachers at 10am today at the Holy Spirit open cathedral to address the issue.

However, provincial education adviser Moses Sariki said their request for an additional K600, 000 was still being processed by the departments of Finance and Treasury and Planning and Monitoring in Port Moresby.

“There are 402 teachers entitled for leave fares.

“The department has paid K841, 000 to nearly half of them and we need another K600, 000 to pay the rest; its just that the system is slow,” Sariki added.

“I guarantee that the teachers will receive their leave fares, even if it comes late; it is their entitlements.”

 

Claims of bias in police posts rejected outright

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

ACTING Police Commissioner Anthony Wagambie has denied any anomaly and flaws in the recent promotion process of commissioned and non-commissioned officers, The National reports.

Wagambie was responding to allegations of flaws and suspicious acts of nepotism and favouritism by disgruntled members of the police force who had been overlooked.

He said promotions were done on merit and loyalty and nobody gets promotions for nothing if they can not perform and also that not everyone can be promoted as there are limited positions.

Wagambie said that only those highly recommended were considered for promotions which is done yearly and urged those who missed out to work hard.

Early this week, members of the Royal PNG Constabulary demanded the acting police commissioner use his powers under the Police Force Act to rescind and recall the current promotions of commissioned and non-commissioned officers (NCOs).

Low ranking officers and the NCOs said the recent promotion of both the commissioned and the non-commissioned officers of the RPNGC, sanctioned by Wagambie and gazetted on Jan 2, are surrounded with flaws and suspicious with elements of nepotism and favouritism.

The disappointed officers said certain commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers that had pending criminal investigations against them or who have been out of the force for five consecutive years were recalled and/or promoted.

They stated that the appointment process used has left the force wide open for abuse and distrust leading to the creation of division among the ranks and files.

They claimed that those officers who had been performing their duties diligently, have passed the required examination and those that did not have disciplinary records were overlooked.

They claimed the current promotions as a pay-back and a slap in the face of those aligned to the former police commissioner and they have vowed to destabilise the force in whatever avenue possible.

They said claimed the promotion was a complete mockery of the whole promotion system and those identifies to sit for the promotion board must not deviate from their core functions to serve the interest of any one person.

Meanwhile, NCD metropolitan Supt Joseph Tondop said the police force was a disciplined organisation and any protest was not acceptable and all normal police operations would continue.

He said promotions were a normal process and not everyone can be promoted at once.

 

Relaxed and intact

SOME members of the government coalition yesterday took the afternoon off to relax on a boat cruise to the Fisherman Island outside Port Moresby before a planned meeting of departmental heads and their ministers on Friday, The National reports.
Accompanying acting Prime Minister Sam Abal were Peter O’Neill (Treasury), Gabriel Kapris (Commerce and Industry), Michael Ogio (Higher Education), Sir Arnold Amet (Attorney-General), Ben Semri (Fisheries), Moses Maladina (Public Service), Timothy Bonga (Forests), Sani Rambi (Labour and Industrial Relations) and governors Anderson Agiru (Southern Highlands) and Peter Ipatas (Enga).
Their presence further reaffirmed that the government coalition is intact and will see its programmes implemented without delay this year.

Court interpreter guilty of contempt

By SAMUEL RAITANO

 

A COURT interpreter who failed to turn up for a hearing about two years ago was sentenced to six months jail with hard labour by the National Court yesterday for contempt, The National reports.

The decision by Justice Mark Sevua at Waigani followed Ronald Otios failure to attend court for his interpreting duties in Court on Nov 6, 2008.

The judgment was passed yesterday, two years after the accused had been found guilty on Nov 10, 2008, as being guilty of contempt of court for neglecting his duty.

Otio was absent as an interpreter on a murder trial, causing the court to adjourn, which was seen as interference with court processes.

According to the court decision, Otio had failed to inform his superior of his ‘absence’ in order to rearrange a replacement, causing inconveniences and unfairness to the trial of a murder suspect who needed translation of the proceedings in Motu.

Otio’s penalty of six months imprisonment with hard labour was, however, suspended by the court on the grounds that the contemnor expressed remorse, was a first time offender and had paid cash bail of K500 as ordered by the court in 2008.

Otio has been permanently suspended from his duties and placed under good behaviour bond for two years, commencing yesterday.

 

Court to decide today on soldier's bail

By ILA PAILAEA

 

THE ruling on a bail application for a PNGDF soldier charged with wilful murder and armed robbery will be handed down this morning by acting Chief Justice Judge Bernard Sakora, The National reports.

A PNGDF lawyer, acting for Lance Corporal Daniel Mona, had to disrobe his gown and appear not as the legal counsel but as a friend to assist Mona.

When the lawyer asked for leave to appear as lawyer advising the court he did not have a current practising certificate, Sakora, in reply, said, “This court does not grant practising certificates. You can sit there but if you choose to appear, you have to disrobe (remove the lawyers gown and bib) and appear as a friend. If leave is granted to appear as counsel, then this court would be in breach of the laws of this country.”

Sakora told the accused that all documents required for a bail application were in order, including copies served on the state and that he was happy to hear the application.

The judge noted that the contents of Mona’s affidavit stated the circumstances he faced, being a family man, while he was being detained.

When asked whether he had anything to add, Mona told the Court, “I am still a serving member of the PNGDF and I’m thinking of my job, if detained beyond 21 days, I’ll be put off the pay roll.” He further told the court he had paid a K1, 000 fine for a fire-arm charge.

He was, however, arrested on one count of wilful murder and two counts of armed robbery.

His friend told the court that according to the summary of facts, Mona was not implicated.

The State sought to show that Mona was connected to the crime after police recovered rifle magazines in his home at Taurama army barracks when co-accused, Elijah Manu led them there.

Manu allegedly gave the firearm used in the crime to a soldier for safe keeping.

Mona is alleged to have been involved in stealing more than K5, 5000 from NR Global Rubber Company near the Correctional Services headquarters at Islander last October, where a senior policeman was shot dead and several police firearms were reported to have been stolen.

 

 

 

Barrick Gold falls 2.9%

BARRICK Gold Corp, the world’s largest gold producer, dropped 2.9% in the Canadian stock exchange after US manufacturing and construction reports boosted confidence in the economy, The National reports.

Barrick Gold, which owns 95% of the Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea, lost 2.9% to C$51.59.

The S&P/TSX surged 14% last year as gold jumped 30% on concern central-bank stimulus programmes may spur future inflation.

Eight of the world’s 20 largest gold producers, including Barrick Gold, are Canadian.

Teck Resources Ltd., Canada’s biggest base-metals and coal producer, advanced 1.7% after the institute for supply management’s gauge of US manufacturing climbed to a seven-month high.

The Standard & Poor’s/TSX composite index slipped 40.91 points, or 0.3%, to 13,402.31 at 4 p.m. in Toronto.

Canadian markets were closed on Tuesday when the US commerce department said construction spending rose 0.4% last November, twice the median forecast of economists in a Bloomberg survey.

“Gold is a bit of a safe haven for people,” Doug Davis, vice chairman of Toronto money manager Davis-Rea Ltd., which manages C$400 million.

“If they think it’s time to get a little less safe, they may move some money out of gold.” – Bloomberg

 

 

 

 

 

Barter doesn't like 'chief' award

By MALUM NALU

 

Madang businessman and former politician Sir Peter Barter does not like the chief” title added to his knighthood in this year’s New Year’s honours list.

This is in contrast to many Papua New Guineans who are lining up to be bestowed awards, which has made the whole system a joke among many people.

Sir Peter, who has been busy attending to the Manam Island volcano eruptions since Christmas Day, made this clear  on Monday when asked to  to comment on his being awarded the chief title together with retired Catholic Archbishop Sir Brian Barnes and former house of assembly member Sir Akepa Miakwe.

“I do not want to be called anything else but ‘Peter’,” he told The National.

“The first I heard about this Logohu award was in The National this morning.

“I did not ask for it

“In fact, more than 12 months ago, it was mentioned and I made a specific comment that I did not want any more awards.

“There are other people who have done a lot more than myself.

“My reward is being accepted by the people of PNG as a Papua New Guinean.”

Sir Peter, one of PNG’s largest tourism operators who runs Madang-based Melanesian Tourist Services and Madang Resort Hotel, said his one regret was the lack of development in tourism.

“My regret is that we have not been able to really develop tourism in PNG, which would have created so many more jobs, business opportunities and an economic income for so many people in rural areas,” he said.

“It is about time we began to exploit a renewable resource.”