Gaming board gives K40,000 to Goroka Show

By MALUM NALU

The National Gaming Control Board is normally a giver in Papua New Guinea, however, today it became the receiver after giving K40,000 to help stage the 2011 Goroka Show next month.
Show committee chairman Gideon Samuel, who is the Air Niugini manager in Goroka, reciprocated with pottery products from Eastern Highlands Cultural Centre in Kainantu.

Goroka Show chairman Gideon Samuel (right) presents pottery products to National Gaming Control Board CEO Simon Sanangke in appreciation for K40,000 sponsorship of this year’s show

Samuel said it was a token of appreciation from his committee and all the people of Goroka and Eastern Highlands for the K40, 000.
Chief executive officer of NGCB, Simon Sanangke, said this would be the fourth year in succession for it to sponsor the Goroka Show.
“We need to promote our culture because we are one of the few remaining countries whose cultures are still alive,” he said.
“Goroka has always been a priority as we felt that they were doing the right thing in terms of developing and promoting our culture.
“This is an asset and has big, big potential in this country.
“I’m sure we can get more tourists if we do the right thing.”
Sanangke said NGCB had been supporting shows and expos all over the country, including K40, 000 each to Enga, Mt Hagen and Goroka shows this year.
Samuel said the K40, 000 was an increase of K20, 000 from last year’s sponsorship.

National Gaming Control Board CEO Simon Sanangke (left) presents K40,000 to Goroka Show chairman Gideon Samuel

“The Goroka Show is a national icon,” he said.
“This sponsorship will go a long way towards ensuring that out culture is passed on to the next generation.
“One of the highlights of this year’s show will be a Pikinini Cultural Show on the first day.
“The NGCB is the biggest sponsor to date and we will ensure that you get a full financial report, which is vital in maintaining our relationship.”
The 2011 Goroka Show will be held at the National Sports Institute over independence long weekend from Sept 16-18, with this year’s to be the 54th show.

LLG president charged with fraud

A LOCAL level government president in East New Britain has been committed to stand trial in the Kokopo National Court on charges of misappropriation and false pretence of about K83,000, The National reports.
Toma-Vunadidir president Henry Ningo, 55, of Rabagi village was charged by police with two counts of false pretence and a count of misappropriation.
Magistrate Samuel Lavutul found that there was sufficient evidence to commit Ningo.
Police alleged that on April 29, 2002, the National Gaming Board made a cheque payment for K83,730 to theToBarip United church and that Ningo falsely represented the church and made a submission to the NGCB's community development programme for funding.
Satisfied that the application had met requirements, the NGCB released the cheque on April 29.
Ningo allegedly did not make an attempt to inform the elders of the church and told them on Aug 15 that if he used the church's account to do his transaction, he would made an undertaking to give K10,000 to the church.
Based on that undertaking, the signatories to the church's account signed the deposit and withdrawal forms and handed over the passbook to Ningo.
He deposited the cheque that same day and it was cleared a few days later when he withdrew K83,598 from the church's account.
Ningo was committed to stand trial on a date to be fixed by the National Court registry.

K700m allocated for free education

By GABRIEL LAHOC

THE O'Neill-Namah government has already put aside K700 million for free education in a separate trust account for the 2012 academic year, Education Minister Theodore Zurenuoc told a crowd in his native Finschhafen last Friday, The National reports.
Zurenuoc announced this to the delight of the people, especially parents and students.
The amount is K100 million more than that which was announced by the former government.
The money is expected to be included in the 2012 budget as it is not budgeted for this year.
He announced that the funding of K4 million for major projects in Finschhafen was already approved and awaiting construction to start.
"The free education fund will be released in early January to all schools," he told the people.
This will alleviate fears expressed by the Catholic Education agency earlier that past administrations have been not delivering education subsidies on time to schools throughout the country.
"Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has assured me that we have the money to pay for the school fees of the children of PNG.
"Parents, you will not pay any school fees next year," he said.
He said this development meant that parents nationwide would save K700 million.
Zurenuoc also announced funding for the district's agriculture programme and road upgrading programme worth K1 million each.
The isolated Pindiu High School in the Hube local level government will undergo a massive facelift with a K3 million funding that has been approved.
The upgrading of Pindiu will be one of the biggest developments to be undertaken in the district because the school is in dire need to upgrade its facilities.
The much needed projects had been prioritised by the joint district planning and budget priority committee after he and his
administration officers visited more than 90% of the communities in the district early this year.

Agiru: O’Neill did not follow process

SOUTHERN Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru said on Monday that Mendi town was under siege because of rushed decisions by Prime Mi­nister Peter O'Neill to reinstate William Powi as administrator, The National reports.
He accused the PM of not following due processes.
Agiru said there was no vacancy in the office of the administrator after Powi's expired.
He said Lawrence Olkoben was appointed by the NEC after all due processes were followed.
He said Southern Highlands had been a no-go zone and that he had restored normalcy in the province in the past four years.
"No action in Waigani or wherever should put off course the Southern Highlands," Agiru said.
Agiru said Southern Highlands was host to the LNG project and these were critical times.
"Gas in the province is still under my feet while Mendi town is under seige by youths."
Agiru said at no stage was he contacted by this government on what was going on in his province.
"The greatest theft of power happened when the Grand Chief's government was illegally removed.
"We have traditional customs, values that we must uphold including respect for the elderly and the sick," he said, adding the seven MPs from the province were still with Sir Michael's government.

Police took sides in Mendi, locals claim

MOBILE squad 9 from Tari in the Hela region is now in charge of security at the 7-storey Agiru Centre in Mendi town, Southern Highlands, The National reports.
The armed policemen were called in after Mendi police personnel were allegedly taking sides in the clash involving the supporters of two acting provincial administrators – William Powi and Lawrence Olkoben – on Monday.
Some members of the provincial executive council told The National yesterday from Mendi that they would lodge a formal complaint with the Police Commissioner Tony Wagambie.
The PEC members alleged that instead of acting neutrally, police allegedly sided with one faction and fired several shots at the other.
Council president for Nipa-Basin and chairman for LLG and district affairs David Navur said they kept some empty shells fired by police.
Navur, who claimed to speak on behalf of other PEC members in the province like Andrew Kit, chairman of law and order, Joe Kunukun (chairman Works and Transport), Benny Putari (chairman education) and Ailo Arapa (chairman Community Service) said the incident happened in front of the people and they were in a process of compiling statements from the witnesses.
He said it was a serious matter and they would take it up with the appropriate authority for disciplinary actions and also sue the state in court for damages.
Navur claimed that two men seriously injured from bullet wounds were taken to Mt Hagen General Hospital on Monday afternoon.
He said nine other people who received  bullet pellets were treated at the Mendi General Hospital on Monday and discharged.
He said those  injured were with Olkoben.
Navur was not sure how many people from other side were injured.
He said more than 30 other people sustained minor injuries from missiles exchanged between the supporters.
Meanwhile, he said both Powi and Olkoben didn't enter the Agiru Centre yesterday and police from Tari were protecting it.
Provincial police commander Teddy Tei could not be reached for comments.

Chimbu eliminations begin

By ZACHERY PER

A TOTAL of 51,643 ballots allowed in the Kundiawa-Gembogl by-election count remain "alive" among the 27 surviving candidates after early eliminations yesterday, The National reports.
According to the progressive count posted on the board at the end of 16th eli­mi­nation there were 74 ballots exhausted.
Kundiawa-Gembogl Returning Of­fi­cer James Piapia expects more ballots to be exhausted towards the end of today and tomorrow as second and third pre­fe­rences for eliminated candidates surface.
As Piapia suspended counts last night 16 candidates had been eliminated leaving 27 candidates still in the race.
The elimination continues today with candidates who have the least number of votes to be the next to be forced out of the race.
Candidates eliminated from the race as of the 16th elimination were Christina Num Nulai, William Gumane, John Brown, Philip Gena Kimagl, Maima Gull, Susan Dua Dingi, Peter Baka, Willie Drua, Toby Gende Abraham, Timon Wena, Loko Kal Ongatnem, Paul Gandi Dekemba, Joe Merimba, Tangil Iambakey Okuk, Peter Kuglo Peter and Paul Gegasunga Gags.
When their preferences were distributed, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's Peoples National Congress Party candidate Peter Waieng maintained his lead with 6¸932 votes. Veteran politician and former Minister Mathew Siune is on 5, 117 votes while Constitutional Democratic candidate Tobias Kulang is on 4,379 votes and former MP Wagi Merimba is on 3,814. People's Party candidate Paul Gende is running fifth with 3,725 votes.
A winner is expected to be declared by tomorrow or Friday before the writs are returned to the governor-general by Aug 26

National Planning plans visits to LLGs

By ALISON ANIS

THE Department of Na­tional Planning and Monitoring is carrying out a consultative programme targeting all lo­cal level governments (LLG), Mi­nister Sam Basil says, The National reports.
Basil yesterday an­noun­ced the consul­ta­tions process would begin on Monday in Alotau, Milne Bay.
"This is the first time we will be consulting with the LLG managers in all four regions to see how we can work with them to improve service delivery and basic infrastructure," he said at a media briefing at Vulu­pindi Haus.
Basil said district and provincial administrators were invited to join the meetings planned for this month but the key people during consultations would be LLG councillors and managers.
"These are the people who truly represent the grassroots and people of the country," he said.
"We believe that all LLGs and districts in PNG must have the resources and must be empowered to look after themselves," Basil said.
He said his team would be visiting Kokopo, East New Britain, on Aug 24-25 to talk to LLG ma­nagers from the Islands region, including the Bou­gain­ville Autonomous Region.
Basil said on Aug 26, the department would meet with Highlands LLG heads in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands.
Consultations with the Momase group would be held in Madang on Aug 29.
Basil said the aim was to bring tangible development at LLG level and see improvement of services delivery to the people.
"One way to do that is through public-private partnership (PPP) with government agencies, business houses and other credible organisations to see that rural people have direct access to services such as transport, electricity, communications and technology such as provided through the installation of VSat."
Basil said it was the dream of the new government to see that people had access to health, education and that the overall social welfare was improved.