Locklyn Sabumei and the Goroka dream

By MALUM NALU

What do Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Chief Secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc, National Court judge Panuel Mogish, Airbus A380 pilot Captain Locklyn Sabumei and many other leading personalities of Papua New Guinea have in common?

Goroka boy Capt Locklyn Sabumei in the ‘front office’ of the Airbus A380

Give up?

They are all proud former students of Goroka Secondary School, one of the leading secondary educational institutions in the country, who will be putting their money where their heart is on Saturday.

There are many more including leading woman engineer Finkewe Zurenuoc, Goroka MP Thompson Haroqkave, Ungai-Bena MP Benny Allan, Chuave MP Jim Nomane, former MP John Nilkare, former Police Commissioner Henry Tokam, former Chief Magistrate John Numapo, former Kundiawa-Gembogl MP the late Joe Mek Teine and many, many more, from all over PNG.

They will be holding a fundraising dinner at Dynasty Seafood Restaurant, Vision City, on Saturday, October 22, to help the school raise funds to rebuild its science laboratory, which was razed by fire in June this year.

The dinner coincides with another pride of Goroka, the Bintangor Goroka Lahanis, playing in Sunday’s Digicel Cup grand final, meaning the place will be chock-a-block with Goroka supporters.

The school, formerly known as Goroka High School, has produced some of the finest in this country.

They have all been asked to help the school at this time of need.

A fundraising committee known as Asu Amiti Fundraising Committee has been set up in Goroka and Port Moresby since the burning down of the laboratory, and has already conducted several fundraising activities, which will culminate with Saturday's dinner.

Sabumei, who completed Grade 10 at the school in 1982 before going on to Sogeri National High School and then University of PNG, before switching to flying, recalls that those were among the best days of his life, which made him what he is today.

He admits that his interest in aviation started when he watched the first Air Niugini F28 to Goroka in 1979.

“ I enjoyed my days at Goroka High School, and it's a pity I don't have any photos from back then,” he told me from United Arab Emirates while taking a breaking from flying the mammoth super jumbo jet.

“(Prime Minister) Peter O'Neill and I were in the same class.

“He went directly to UPNG whilst I went to Sogeri National High School, and later met up with him at UPNG.

“I remember hanging out with my boarding friends after school and waiting for dinner time, because I loved the ‘flour’ that the cooks at the mess would make.

“Not the most-healthy meal by any standard, but it tasted good nevertheless!

“The teachers at the school were great.

“I especially remember my maths teacher in Grade 10, Sister Linda.

“She was a Catholic nun from Germany that taught at the school.

“Her teaching style was fun and encouraging, and she made learning maths very enjoyable.

“I also remember enjoying agriculture class to the extent that I ordered day-old chicks, guinea fowls and guinea pigs from Lae, to look after in my back yard.

“For a while there, I thought my calling was Agriculture.

“The school also had a cockatoo that we used to take great pleasure in teaching many not-so- polite words, and for which we repeatedly got told off by the principal, Mr Egan, at morning assembly.

“My interest in aviation started whilst I was at Goroka High School.

“I remember the school giving us half a day off to go see the F28's first flight to Goroka, around 1979 I think.

“That just spurred things along.

“My friends and I would walk to the airport, and stand by the fence closest to the departure end of the runway, and stare at planes for hours on end.

“All the while thinking to myself....one day I'll fly those.

“Years later, when I was in Air Niugini and flying to Goroka, I saw other kids doing the same thing along the fence and thought, ‘wow...dreams do become reality’.

“Twenty-five years in commercial aviation later, I’m still living the dream.”

Fundraising committee member and businessman Jeno Aeno, owner of Oxford Medical Supplies and a former classmate of O’Neill and Sabumei, urged all former students to attend the dinner.

Tickets are on sale in three categories – gold for K10, 000, silver for K5, 000 and bronze for K3, 000 – while individual tickets can be purchased for K150.

“I’m an ex-Goroka High School student and also a landowner from Kama village,” Aeno said.

“I feel obliged that I should support the fundraising drive.

“The school has produced some of the most highly-respected people in the country.

“It is one of the biggest secondary schools in the country, just like Kokopo Secondary School in East New Britain and Bugandi Secondary School in Lae.

“The school continues to produce brilliant students for the universities in the country and overseas.

 “We’re having ex-students from places like Alotau, Kokopo, Tabubil, Lae and Madang calling us to purchase tickets,” he said.

“These people are going to spend their own money to fly in just for the dinner.

“It’s also becoming like a big reunion for the school.”

Aeno said apart from students, many former staff would also be attending Saturday's dinner, such as former longtime principal Bernadette Ove, Karoko Asimi and others.

“They are very fond of the time the spent in Goroka,” he said.

Aeno said they were already assured of support from National Gaming Control Board, Post PNG, JDA Wokman, Eyechen and National Maritime Safety Authority.

He is already putting his money where his mouth is, with Oxford paying for four tables at a cost of K19, 000.

Former students and supporters of the school who wish to attend the dinner can call Oxford Medical Supplies on telephone 325 4874.

Crash reports will be made public, says Prime Minister

PRIME Minister Peter O'Neill has assured relatives and the public that the investigation report into the fatal air crash that claimed 28 lives will be made public, The National reports.
O'Neill, during his meeting with the Modilon General Hospital board and management said he hoped the crash investigation was completed to give some relief to relatives on the cause of the accident.
"Civil Aviation Safety Authority has grounded all Airlines PNG Dash 8 fleet to do an audit on all its aircraft, the background to see if there is an issue on manufacturer and safety. Until that is done, APNG will remain grounded," O'Neill said
He said the recent crash involving Airlines PNG aircraft in Madang and the 2009 crash in Kokoda were not related.
He said he had asked the PNG Accident Investigation Commission chief executive officer David Inau to make available the 2009 Kokoda crash report which should be ready by now.
O'Neill said it had taken some time for that report but said investigations of aircraft crash reports were slow because of the nature of the investigations.
He appealed to the family and relatives of the dead in the Madang air crash to be patient while awaiting DNA testing with the help of the Australian authorities to identify the bodies.
He said the investigations would reveal the outcome that the government wanted to take note of and make cabinet decisions to ensure the safety of the travelling public.
O'Neill admitted that after 36 years of independence, road infrastructure was still a problem and the people would continue to use air transport.

O’Neill commits K500,000 for evacuation and funeral

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

PRIME Minister Peter O'Neill has announced the national government's commitment of K500,000 towards the repatriation and funeral of the 28 passengers killed in the Airlines PNG crash near Madang, The National reports.
"The government is committing K500,000 for evacuation and funeral.
"The government will do everything possible to ensure we transport them back to their villages to be given the respect they deserve with a decent burial," O'Neill said.
He also promised to ensure legislations were tightened to ensure such air accidents were not repeated.
"We will work closely with the airlines to ensure safety standards are maintained.
"The government remains committed that safety standard is maintained at the highest level," he said.
O'Neill visited the crash site yesterday.
The government dele­gation included Civil Aviation Minister Puri Ruing, Madang Gover­nor James Gau and Prime Minister's chief of staff Ben Micah.
They travelled by the Falcon jet to Madang yesterday morning before taking a 10-minute helicopter ride to the crash site.
O'Neill led the wreath laying on the propellers of the aircraft.
A one-minute silence was observed before he asked Micah to end the solemn occasion with a prayer for those who lost their lives.
"Terrible," O'Neill said after taking into account the enormity of the crash scene when he walked through the crash site.
"It is history for this country to have such a big loss of lives in a single plane crash," he said.
He said his visit to the crash site was to pay his respect to the victims and also to personally pass on his thank you and appreciation on behalf of the government to the villagers who helped saved four lives and removed the bodies.
O'Neill attended a memorial service at the Divine Word University where he personally met the grieving students who lost their family members on the ill-fated flight.
He told the service of his visit to the crash site which he said was by far the biggest loss of lives in the country's 36 year history.
He thanked the Divine Word university community, public servants, Australian air investigators and Australian Federal Police for their quick response to assist PNG.
He later visited the Modilon General Hospital where he met staff and management.

Australian forensic experts to help identify burnt bodies

A FORENSIC team from Australia yesterday arrived to conduct DNA tests on the victims of the Airlines PNG Dash 8 crash, The National reports.
Modilon General Hospital director of medical services Dr Billy Selvi said the hospital was short-staffed and faced other issues that had largely left staff demoralised.
Since last Friday, the hospital had became the centre of attraction as relatives of the dead converged hoping to see the remains being brought in after several helicopter trips.
Boston Jack, the morgue attendant, said yesterday a team that returned to the crash site had recovered two more skulls.
One of the four survivors is a Malaysian, Chin Ku Fa, who suffered 27% burns. He is in stable condition.

Work begins on recovering parts

By ANGELINE KARIUS

FOUR Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) officers have yet to start investigation at the crash site, according to Accident Investigation Commission (AIC) officer on the ground Lesley Sefue, The National reports.
Sefue, who is heading the team, confirmed that ATSB had two aircraft engineers in the country – one in Madang and the other in Port Moresby.
He said the team had flown in from Australia at the weekend to assist PNG investigators establish the cause of the accident.
"We have yet to commence investigation into the crash leading into the second day.
"Right now we are still removing components of the aircraft's engine and securing it from possible rain.
"There is still no concrete evidence linking the crash," Sefue said, adding there would be no information made public when investigations start.
Sefue said three Airlines PNG aircraft engineers have joined the investigators and were also providing assistance.
He also said the crash site had been sealed off and guarded to protect evidence and also because of potential health hazard.

InterOil: Fuel not contaminated

FUEL distributor InterOil yesterday denied that its fuel may have been contaminated, leading to last Thursday's Dash 8 aircraft crash in Madang, The National reports,
PNG Accident Investigation Commission chief executive officer David Inau also ruled out the contamination theory put forward by a Lae businessman which The Australian newspaper reported at the weekend.
InterOil general manager Peter Diezmann said in a media statement that immediately following the crash, it initiated its standard operating procedure to quarantine relevant fuel sources and facilities, freeze aircraft operations and engaged with the Civil Aviation Safety authority to ensure that appropriate testing could be undertaken.
He said the company undertook the testing to determine if its fuel were contaminated as speculated.
"The company was concerned for the safety of other air travellers, even though it was unlikely that their fuel would have contributed to the accident, therefore, all fuel distribution was stopped to allow for the testing," he said.
Diezmann said the bad fuel theory was ruled out because another 15 aircraft also refuelled at Nadzab Airport, Lae, from the same batch of aviation fuel last Thursday.
He said initial testing and analysis of the fuel confirmed that the fuel supplied to the aircraft in Lae fully complied with specifications.
Diezmann said comprehensive testing has now been completed by a specialist independent laboratory and consequently CASA had cleared the company's refuelling operations.
He said as a result of the clearance, refueling operations at Nadzab had recommenced.
Asked yesterday to comment on fuel contamination, Inau said: "We would discount that."
He has set up office at Madang airport to coordinate efforts to determine the cause of the crash which killed 28 people.
"If contaminants were in the fuel they would have caused the engine to flame out.
"But the way the fire tore out the plane shows it could be other causes which may be related to other factors.
"So yes, we are still trying to figure out what the bang, which people say they have heard, is all about".
Meanwhile, a team from Bombardier, the Canadian manufacturers of the Dash 8 aircraft, and a team from Pratt and Whitney, engine makers of the plane, arrived yesterday in Madang and will visit the crash site today.
Airlines PNG, meanwhile, had grounded its remaining 11 Dash 8 aircraft, hoping to resume as soon as clearance is given.

Prime Minister visits crash site

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill yesterday visited the crash site of last Thursday’s horrific air tragedy outside Madang and offered K500,000 to repatriate the bodies for proper burials, The National reports.

Brother and sister John Paul and Paula Matlam in the company of Prime Minister Peter O'Neill at Madang's Divine Word University yesterday. They lost family members in the Airlines PNG Dash 8 aircraft disaster last Thursday.-Nationalpic by JAYNE SAFIHAO

The repatriation of bodies, however, will have to await DNA testing by an Australian forensic team to establish the identities of the deceased as most bodies had been burnt beyond recognition.
The team was yesterday briefed and set up office within the Madang hospital grounds to begin work today.
They are to take blood or mouth swabs from relatives to establish DNA matches with the bodies of the dead.
In selected spots in many parts of the country, the traditional haus krai, or places of mourning, had been set up for friends and relatives to gather and express their grief for the 28 who perished.
Meanwhile, the sole supplier and distributor of fuel, InterOil, declared yesterday that the fuel was not contaminated as suggested in media reports.
General manager Peter Diezmann said the company undertook the testing immediately after the crash to determine whether its fuel were contaminated but after further comprehensive testing, CASA cleared the fuel operations.
Bad fuel has also been ruled out by the PNG Accident Investigation Commission chief executive officer David Inau.
A team also arrived yesterday from Canada from Bombardier who manufacture the airframe and from Pratt & Whitney, the engine makers to undertake their own investigation into the crash.
Air Niugini, which flies Dash 8 in its own fleet, continued its operations after doing its own investigations and after receiving assurances from the aircraft manufacturers that there was nothing wrong with the aircraft.
O’Neill, accompanied by Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Puri Ruing, yesterday laid a wreath at the site of the crash and attended mass at the Divine Word University where he comforted students who lost parents and relatives in the crash.

O'Neill, Madang Governor James Gau (centre) and a government official observing a minute of silence at the crash site.-Nationalpic by ISAAC NICHOLAS

The university has set up a haus krai and has established counselling services for the students affected