Wagambie warns rumour mongers

By JUNIOR UKAHA

 

POLICE will arrest and charge people found to be spreading rumours that Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is dead, acting Commissioner of Police Anthony Wagambie said yesterday, The National reports.

The warning came as text messages, emails and the coconut wireless worked overtime during the weekend with claims Sir Michael had died in Singapore where he is seeking medical treatment.

Late last month, a similar message said Enga Governor Peter Ipatas had died.

"Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare is alive and recovering in the hospital after undergoing surgery in Singapore and people should not spread malicious rumours about the prime minister's health," Wagambie said.

He said those spreading the rumour were people with "malicious intentions" and were "causing a lot of unnecessary anxiety and stress in the hearts and minds of ordinary Papua New Guineans".

Wagambie said he was concerned about the contents of the message and the way the message was spreading.

He said opportunists and criminal elements could take advantage of the situation and cause trouble in urban centres.

"The extent of this malicious rumour poses a threat to our internal security and, as such, I have issued instructions for police investigators to arrest anyone who is found spreading such false rumours," Wagambie said

He said under section 11 of the Summary Offences Act, spreading false information was an offence and any citizen found in the act would be arrested.

He said he had instructed his regional commanders to be on full alert in light of the hoax to deal with any unruly behaviour from opportunists and criminal cells.

He said Sir Michael was the "father of this nation" and people should accord him the highest respect at a time when he was recovering from surgery.

Wagambie said the rumour had caused "a lot of humiliation and distress" to Sir Michael's family.

Wagambie urged all citizens to be morally responsible by cross-checking the information they got via their mobile phone and email addresses with authorities.

Wagambie said the thoughts and prayers of the 5,000-odd members of the police force were with Sir Michael and they wished him a quick and smooth recovery.

La Sallians celebrate

IT was a fun-filled day yesterday for Hohola youth development centre in Port Moresby as students staged various activities to mark the feast day of their founder St John Baptist de La Salle, The National reports.

And the heat of the sun could not damper the students spirits as they celebrated.

The day began with a talent show display along with a formation of the La Sallian star.

Two groups were selected from a list of performances that were showcased yesterday to establish two finalists to perform today.

The feast day will be hosted at Don BoscoTechnical Institute today with performances from Isidora and Extreme.

St John dedicated much of his life for the education of poor children of France in the 1680s and is considered the founder of the first Catholic schools.

 

Ramu beef aims to supply whole nation

By PATRICK TALU

 

RAMU Premium Beef (RPB), a division of the diversified Ramu Agro-Industry Ltd (RAIL) is setting the pace in quality premium beef production, The National reports.

Having set the pace, RAIL through RPB is looking at supplying the entire domestic market with tasty and quality premium beef.

"We have the potential to supply the entire domestic market and feed meat-hungry Papua New Guineans," RPB farm manager Marcel Eno told The National in Gusap last week.

"Our ultimate goal is to produce quality beef for our customers.

"In order to be what you want it to be, you have to look after it (referring to cattle).

 "And that is where we come in and put more emphasis on," Eno said.

As part of the new approach after recommendation from feasibility studies, RPB has emphasised on new breeding by cloning in which quality sperms are collected from healthy bulls and fertilise with quality eggs from cows.

Eno explained that by getting the best breed means quality beef.

He said to sustain the quality, RAIL had improved its pastures by preserving the harvested sorghum plants in the event that there was insufficient pastures for cattle to feed.

Eno said by the end of the year, RPB is projected to slaughter 20,000 cattle that will be supplied to the domestic market.

He said the company's focus was on producing quality and not quantity just sufficient enough for its domestic markets.

Currently, there are 1,200 cattle on the feedlot ready to be taken to the abattoir for slaughtering.

He said before sending cattle from the feedlot to the abattoir for slaughtering, it had to weigh more between 350kg and 400kg.

RPB abattoir manager Jerry Sei said: "Our customers like the quality beef that we produce. It is very tender and meaty that our customers favor our beef.

"To meet our customers' taste and preference, we have maintained and improved the quality."

Polls dilemma

Amend election legislation or face deferral, govt warned

 

By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

THE government has been urged to push for urgent electoral reforms to increase the number of open electorates or face a constitutional crisis – a possible postponement – in the general election next year, The National reports.

The 2002 law governing elections had provided for no more than 120 open electorates from the current 89.

That legislation must be re-amended to maintain 89 open seats but did not take into account the two new electorates of Jiwaka and Hela for which enabling legislation must be passed for their existence.

Adding to the complication was the newly-appointed Electoral Boundaries Commission which did not recommend for more seats in parliament.

The minister responsible for the electoral commission, Francis Potape, and Minister for Justice and Attorney-General Sir Arnold Amet were yesterday preparing a submission for the national executive council on the urgency of amending the 2002 provincial and national election legislation.

Failure to make amendments could mean postponing the general election next year, a source familiar with election laws said yesterday.

The source, who did not want to be named, said if the government did not amend the law, the new 2012 parliament was likely to be postponed to the following year.

The source said Potape and Sir Arnold had prepared the cabinet submission suggesting either a postponement of the elections or to have the newly appointed Electoral Boundaries Commission recommend the creation of more electorates.

The source stressed that the Organic Law on National and Local Level Government Elections as amended in 2002 would have to be amended again to retain the 89 open electorate seats for the 2012 election.

The source said the government would prefer to defer the election.

However, Potape was adamant yesterday that the election was going ahead next year "as announced and revealed by the Electoral Commission".

Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen also said next year's election "will take place as planned but there are doubts whether the election will be conducted as required under the amended Organic Law".

Potape said the amendment to the legislation was ready and the government had ample time to amend the law as elections were still a year away.

National Alliance power play angers United Resources Party leader

 

SOUTHERN Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru yesterday blasted National Alliance party members as a bunch of power-hungry players who are disrespectful of Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, The National reports.

"Sir Michael, the father of the nation, is in his sick bed recovering from a complicated operation and, here, we have members of the ruling party who are highly disrespectful of him.

"They will stop at nothing to grab power and are making a play for it already. It is very un-Melanesian," Agiru said in a statement.

Agiru, founder of United Resources Party (URP), spoke out after the Post-Courier ran a front-page article yesterday, titled "NA leadership decided today" which suggested certain members of NA were pushing to take over leadership of NA while Sir Michael was on medical leave in Singapore.

He said it was Sir Michael's leadership and charisma that pulled together the coalition that had delivered the government to NA for two terms.

"These NA leaders must realise that it was Sir Michael who pulled together the coalition that has been in government for nine years.

"It is not them or their party. None of them have the magnetic pull that the grand chief possesses and is admired throughout the country for.

"That is why it is highly disrespectful of them to try to topple him while he is in his sick bed recovering," Agiru said.

"We gave the mandate to Sir Michael to lead the country, not NA. These leaders must realise this.

"The grand chief is going through the toughest challenge of his life, and the least you will expect is a tussle for power by the boys. 

"We, smaller parties in the coalition, are disappointed and are watching."

Agiru's URP is the second largest group in the coalition government after NA.

Meanwhile, Minister for Transport and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Constitutional Matters Francis Potape said certain paragraphs in the Post-Courier report were misleading and sensationalised.

"How did acting Prime Minister Sam Abal marginalised the members and their parties?

"Abal has not made any appointments," he said.

Locals close Kutubu

 

KUTUBU landowners protesting against the state over their benefits have shut down some facilities, stalling progress on the liquefied natural gas project in Southern Highlands, The National reports.

The landowners had shut the gates to Moro Airport, Angogo Ridge, access road and Mubi valve facilities at 6am yesterday.

The landowner leaders said the central production facility (CPF) that pumps oil to the Kumul terminal in the Gulf of Papua would be shut down this morning.

Fasu landowner leaders Kossy Sosoro, Keith Puara, Peter Heno and Foe leader Hami Yawari told a joint media conference the facilities "will remain shut until the state honours its outstanding commitments under the Kutubu petroleum development agreement".

The leaders said the Kutubu project started production in 1990.

"We signed (the agreement) because we understand that we will get the MoA funds and special support grants. But, this has not been honoured by the state since 1990 with more than K5 billion outstanding in MoA and SSG commitments."

Puara, a leader from Sisiba village that owns the Agogo facility, said the people had been patient for a long time and had never damaged project facilities.

"What we are doing today is for our rights and it is a peaceful shutdown," he said.

Kossy Sosoro, who heads the Moro Airport landowners, said the government had set precedence by paying K16 million to Hides 4 landowners to allow for LNG work and "must do the same for Kutubu".

Chief landowner of the central production facility Peter Heno said: "I warn the state and Oil Search Ltd not to intimidate and harass my people because this is a peaceful protest.

"We want our money."

Oil Search Ltd late yesterday issued a statement that there were a number of threats by landowner groups to disrupt oil operations because of their frustrations with the state over a number of alleged unfulfilled commitments, including the release of memorandum of agreement (MoA) funds and the review of the petroleum development licence 2 agreement.

"Oil Search Ltd will take all necessary action to protect its people and property and continue to undertake our lawful business within our licence areas," it said.

"Oil Search has obtained an order from the National Court, restraining any trespassing on its licence areas, as all the issues raised by the landowner groups relate only to outstanding state commitments and not actions or commitments by Oil Search."

The developer said it had been working tirelessly with landowner leaders to understand their grievances and facilitate their communication with the state, "notwithstanding that all these issues are external to Oil Search".

"As a member of this community, Oil Search always welcomes constructive dialogue with project area landowners and appreciates the manner in which this is being conducted, but impacts on operations are unacceptable.

"Following threats to government to shut oil operations, crowds have gathered around the Moro Airfield, the Agogo processing facility and the Moran oilfield."

All ExxonMobil, Oil Search and contractor-owned vehicles had been grounded and field work and business activities had stopped.

O’Neill:All districts will get DSIP funds

ALL electorates in the country will receive their district services improvement programme (DSIP) funds after this parliamentary session, Treasurer and Minister for Finance Peter O'Neill said yesterday, The National reports.

O'Neill gave the assurance after the member for Finschhafen, Theo Zurenuoc, asked during question time why his electorate did not receive last year's DSIP of K2 million.

He wanted to know when the government would pay his electorate its outstanding DSIP funds.

Zurenuoc accused the government of nepotism in the distribution of the funds.

O'Neill said the National Alliance-led government had not discriminated against any member of parliament or any district.

He said all the 89 districts had received their part of the funds over the past four years and the remaining funds would be paid soon.

He said K20 million had been paid over the past four years with the balance of K4 million each owed to the districts.

O'Neill said the government was committed and, wherever a district received a shortfall, it was its responsibility to top up the funds because the government wanted vital services to reach all the people, isolated or not.

"There is no division and separation between where you sit on the floor of parliament and where I sit," he said.

He said it was the government's intention to provide services to all people throughout the nation regardless of their location or their member's political affiliation.

O'Neill said the onus was on respective open members and members of their district budget planning and priorities committee to implement and use the funds to improve the lives of the people.