Young farmer Nelson and his snake beans

By JAMES KILA of Ramu Nico

IT IS watermelon, cucumber, corn and bean flush season in many parts of the Momase and the Highlands region.

With rains currently being experienced in both regions, gardens are yielding an abundance of fruit and vegetables.

Pictured is Nelson Nungs, aged seven, from Lalok No. 4 village in Astrolabe Bay LLG, Madang province, decorating himself with snake beans. 

Seven-year-old Nelson Nungs decorates himself with snake beans in the garden at Lalok No. 4 village in Rai Coast, Madang province.-Picture by JAMES KILA

They were plentiful in his garden when this writer visited.

These snake beans, some measuring one metre, were harvested by his mother, cooked in coconut milk and neatly tied into small bundles and sold at a roadside market for 20-toea.

Nelson’s beans were cultivated in a new garden as leguminous plants to assist in the growth of rice and cocoa.

This is a form of cultivation appropriately known as inter-cropping.

Travelers along the Ramu and Highlands highways will notice beans, melons, and roasted corn selling in makeshift markets along the road side.

Hungry travelers do not waste time when they stop at these roadside markets.

Many go for roasted corn, watermelons and cucumbers.

Electricity supplies to be improved: Sir Mekere

 Minister for Public Enterprises, Sir Mekere Morauta, says National Executive Council had approved three submissions from himself and the Minister for Petroleum and Energy, William Duma, to improve national electricity supplies.

“The submissions relate to the repair and expansion of the Ramu Hydro Scheme in the Eastern Highlands, the construction of a gas-fired generator in the Southern Highlands and the construction of a gas-fired generator in Western Province,” Sir Mekere said.

“Individually, they are very big projects that can add significantly to the generation capacity of the nation.

“Taken together, they a giant leap forward in progress towards increasing our national energy capacity, providing economic opportunity and promoting national development.

“Most importantly, they can come on-line very quickly.”

The Ramu and Mananda proposals would link into the Highlands-Morobe-Madang grid, as well as providing local power.

They would solve the power shortages in Lae and Madang, and provide excess electricity that would be available for new industrial, agricultural and domestic demand in Morobe and Madang provinces and across the Highlands.

PNG Power’s Lae-Madang-Highlands grid at present generates only 62 megawatts of electricity. The Ramu and Mananda proposals could increase total output to as much as 497 megawatts

“These projects have the potential to transform local economies as well as the national economy,” Sir Mekere said.

“They have the potential to transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the long-term.

“They are opportunities that we cannot afford to miss.”

The Ramu project is being proposed and undertaken by the Government through IPBC in partnership with PNG Energy Developments Limited, a 50-50 joint venture between PNG Sustainable Developments Limited and Origin Energy of Australia.

The Mananda and Stanley projects are being proposed by PNG EDL, and the Government is considering buying equity.

NEC approved a K45 million feasibility study for the Ramu project, which could increase the Ramu output from the current 45 megawatts to as much as 325 megawatts,

The first stage would be to repair and renovate the existing Yonki dam and power station. The second is to complete the ‘Toe of Dam’ project, which will generate power from water going over the existing spillway at Yonki. The third is to build a new dam and powerhouse.

Cabinet directed IPBC to proceed with the feasibility study and agreed to take steps to designate the project as a ‘Project of State Significance’.

The Mananda gas-fired power project would link into the Ramu transmission system at Mendi. As well as feeding into the existing system, it could also supply large mining projects, and there is sufficient capacity for local rural electrification schemes.

The project would generate between 80 and 150 megawatts of electricity.

Under the proposal, PNG Power Limited’s Ramu transmission lines could be transferred into a Public-Private Partnership owned by the State and the private sector.

NEC noted the work being done by PNG EDL and IPBC to advance the project, and directed IPBC to investigate options for carrying out a transmission system PPP.

The third project discussed by NEC was for a gas-fired power station at the Stanley gas field in Western Province, also proposed by PNG EDL.

The electricity would be supplied to the Ok Tedi Mine, Kiunga and possibly to the Frieda River mine if its development goes ahead. PNG EDFL is also looking at the potential to export excess power to West Papua.

They also estimate that the project has the potential to supply power through rural electrification schemes to about 50,000 people in Western Province.

There is potential for State equity in the project, and NEC has directed IPBC and Treasury to negotiate terms and to report back to NEC.

Cabinet agreed to targeted import duty exemptions for the projects. Consideration will also be given to providing GST exemptions.

Cabinet also supported a proposal to develop the Purari hydro scheme, and endorsed an electricity industry policy.

Current work on improving reliability and increased capacity in the Port Moresby system is proceeding, and a submission on this is expected.

O’Neill seeks last-minute reprieve

By JULIA DAIA BORE

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill will know today whether he was elected legally to office on Aug 2, The National reports.
The full-bench Supreme Court will make a ruling on that at 9.30am at the Waigani Court House.
But, before this (at 9am), the Supreme Court will hear and rule on a late application yesterday by O’Neill’s lawyer Philip Ame to disqualify Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia from the Supreme Court bench ruling on the East Sepik provincial executive reference.
Parliament is also scheduled to meet this morning, but whether it resumes normally at 10am will depend on how long it
takes to dispose of the two respective court cases.
While NCD police will be out in full force to ensure criminal elements do not take advantage of the situation, many employers have advised their workers to stay home today in case of trouble.
This morning’s Supreme Court impending ruling is on the legality of O’Neill’s election which was questioned by the East Sepik provincial government.
Should this morning’s Supreme Court declares O’Neill’s election as prime minister illegal, Speaker Jeffery Nape faces court proceedings filed by Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare on Wednesday at both the National and Supreme courts.
The latter proceedings aimed to cite Nape with actions of breaches of various sections of the Constitution (filed at the National Court) and also being in contempt of the proceedings of the Supreme Court respectively.
These details would be argued before the court of law.
Court registrar Ian Augerea confirmed late yesterday the O’Neill bid to remove Sir Salamo as head of the bench for the East Sepik application, citing a conflict-of-interest situation arising from an alleged meeting at a hotel in Port Moresby early last month.
Affidavits from three witnesses were also filed along with O’Neill’s application.
The Supreme Court bench for today’s decision comprises the chief justice, his deputy Gibbs Salika and senior justices Bernard Sakora, Nicholas
Kirriwom and Les Gavara-Nanu.
The East Sepik provincial executive council’s special reference is seeking an interpretation on the constitutionality of the Aug 2 declaration that there was a vacancy in the prime minister’s position and the subsequent formation of a new government.
It also wanted a ruling on whether the parliamentary process used was legal

The legend of JACK METTA

By MALUM NALU
 

The passing of rugby league player and journalist extraordinaire, Jack Metta, marked the end of an era in the history of Papua New Guinea.

Metta, 57, from Savaiviri village in Gulf province but a born and raised ‘Lae boy’ from Papuan Compound, passed away in his sleep last Sunday night.

Jack Metta...larger than life

He has touched so many lives, as seen from the numerous tributes in the newspapers, radio, television and the internet.

His colourful writing style, as exemplified by his streetwise Root Mettas column in The National’s Weekender for many years, entertained so many thousands of people every week.

Metta is survived by his wife Rignald, seven children and 10 grandchildren.

I will never forget him because he was the one who recruited me into the then Talair-owned Niugini Nius in 1988, straight after graduation from University of PNG, where I joined him and Ronald Bulum on the inimitable sports team of the paper, launching me into my career in journalism.

Those were the glory days of club football, before the inter-city rugby league competition killed it in 1990, and the Lloyd Robson Oval was our second home.

We had unforgettable moments, forever etched into my mind, until Talair owner Sir Dennis Buchanan, in a spur-of-the-moment reaction to then Prime Minister Paias Wingti, closed down his airline and newspaper, leaving all of us staff members on the streets.

“So, for Jack, the referee has called it a game and the chief sub-editor has placed the final copy to bed,” Bulum said from Lae this week.

“I’m grateful for the mentoring and the camaraderie.

Metta was born on Oct 13, 1954, at the old Malahang Hospital in the glory days of the old Lae and did his primary schooling at Bumneng and Milfordhaven primary schools. 

A brilliant child, he was then sent to Ipswich Grammar School in Queensland where he attained the Australian Junior School certificate.

In 1972 and 1973, Metta attended Sogeri Senior High School where he did his grades 11 and 12.

The following year, he went to Wellington Polytechnic in New Zealand, where he did a one-year journalism course, graduating with the Commonwealth Certificate of Journalism.

Upon his return to his beloved country, he joined the National Broadcasting Commission where from 1975-1979, he worked in Port Moresby, Lae, Mt Hagen, Goroka, Daru and Vanimo.

Metta was part of the great Kumul rugby league side of 1977 that beat the France 37-6, and which included the likes of captain John Wagambie, Dikana ‘Ten Gun’ Boge, Garia Kora, Paul Tore, Vai Karava, Linus Geni, Rod Pearce and Alan Rero.

He was a good mate of my late father, school inspector  Mathias Nalu in Goroka, and it was there as a child that I first watched  Metta enthralling rugby league-mad Goroka at the show ground (now National Sports Institute).

I can also remember that Sunday on May 29, 1977, when we tuned in to the ever-reliable NBC and listened as Metta and Co whipped France.

He was with Times of PNG from 1980-1984, Niugini Nius from 1985-1990, PNG Rugby Football League from 1990-1996, The National from1996-2003, Post-Courier from 2003-2005, and then rejoined The National from 2005-2009.

He then joined the new rugby league franchise Gulf Isapeas, and for the last two months until the time of his death, was employed by Mineral Resources Development Company as their public relations officer.

“I have been close to late Jack Metta since PRL days in the late 70s, 80s n 90s,” says good mate Michael Malabag.

“We maintained our friendship during his days with Niugini Nius when I used to write sports news on the Gordon touch rugby league which I helped form back in the 80s.

“Jack was kind enough as the sports editor to help me promote the competition

“Over last few years and as you know, I saw him from time to time at the media pool competition.

“His wife Rignald used to work for the Electoral Commission many years ago when I also was a staff there.”

Of the many tributes I have read, perhaps the best was from Pastor Ilaisa Orere, who grew up with Metta as a child.

Orere, incidentally, is the father of promising young The National reporter, Dennis Orere, who has also been inspired by the journalism feats of Metta.

Orere takes up the story: “The passing of Jack Metta brings to an end a story that began in the late 1950s at Samos Street at the Papuan Compound in Lae, where my good brother shared his early childhood days with many of us who grew up there, in a loving and caring environment.

“Jack ‘Kau’ Metta, as we called him, was the son of Metta Sova and his wonderful wife, who were some of those who left behind their ‘Yu iet kam na lukim’ homeland (Gulf) to settle in Lae in the 1950s and early 1960s to find a new future for their families.

“My father and mother also left behind Gavuone village in the Marshall Lagoon area to raise our family in this wonderful community.

“I was fortunate enough to live next door to the Metta family, which included two girls and five boys.

“Among them were Jack and younger brother Sape, who became famous names in PNG media.

“With other brothers and sisters from different cultural backgrounds living in the ‘Compound’ we became one family and lived one lifestyle for the years during which we grew up together.

“Fun-loving and strong-willed like his famous uncle, the great Sape,  who was a powerhouse forward of the Goroka and Highlands league for some years, Jack enjoyed adventure and having fun.

“Most of all he loved his family and respected other people and made time for family and friends.

“My part in the Jack Metta legend was brief in his illustrious career but his family and my family shared the best years of our lives together.

“After completing primary education at Milfordhaven Primary School, Jack and I took different journeys, although we always came home for Christmas and spent valuable time as our families had done over many years.

“Jack would come home from Ipswich Grammar School in Brisbane and I was home from Armidale in NSW.

“As Jack developed a career, he also became a rugby league legend by becoming a Kumul.

“Somehow we always kept in touch through friends from our early days and family members.

“In 2007, when my son Dennis, was attached at The National during his holidays from Divine Word University where he was studying journalism, Jack took time to ask Dennis where he was from.

“He called me that day and we kept in touch but every time I called into The National offices to see him, he was out.

“I watched the memorable Test match from the grandstand when Jack, as a member of the Kumul side, defeated the French at the Lloyd Robson oval.

“He said to me after the match, ‘Ol frogs ia rough stret ia. Man mi kisim taim ia’.

“Yes, it was a rough affair and I’m sure other team members, especially Rod Pearce and John Tobin who were in the firing line in some rough scrums, will testify to that.

“But the comment shows his character throughout his life.

“He valued his family and friends and he remained the same for all of us, no matter what the situation was.

“He had just come off a history-making match but his sense of humor remained.

“His brothers and sisters and my brothers and sisters and I will always remember the fun-loving and great leader that he was in sport, in his career and in his family and social life.

“Though he is now gone from this life, the legacy of this great person will live on and will no doubt be an inspiration for his family, relatives and friends and many others.

“And I could go on about the special life that we all shared at the Papuan Compound in Lae.

“It was a special community that existed on the principle of ‘sharing and caring’.

“It was a community with a wide range of religious backgrounds.

“There were Catholic, United Church, Salvation Army, Lutheran and SDA families but we all grew up together as one family.

“Every home was open to all others.

“Jack’s home was our guava, laulau and daga place.

“My home was our comic shop.

“Terry Soi provided the balls for us to play touch.

“Everybody contributed to each other’s need.

“It was an upbringing that raised some popular names in Lae in the likes of Howard Lahari, Jack Manau, Maki and Terry Soi, late Mukura Orere, Pouna Wagi, Ernest Natera, Robert Soro, John Kave, Timothy and Joshua Lokora, Anderson and Wari Vele and many more.

“That is the upbringing that was exemplified in the success story of Jack Metta.

“Humility and commitment to fulfill our ambitions in life is the message that Jack leaves behind for his family and my family.

“Though Jack has gone, the legend lives on, and I believe that his soul will enjoy rest in eternal peace.

“My prayers and sincere condolences go to his wife and children, and the family as we stand with them in this unfortunate time of loss and sorrow.”

Homeward bound Jenny is ready to teach

When Jenny Jerry was offered the opportunity to further her education in Australia she jumped at it.

Jenny Jerry celebrates her degree with her four daughters and husband

The mother-of-four was desperate for a tertiary education but was unable to achieve it in her homeland of Papua New Guinea.

The answer for Jenny was an Australian Development Scholarship offered by AusAID to study at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

She believes education is the key to success and is passionate about teaching as many Papua New Guinean (PNG) children as possible.

“Coming from a third world country is not easy,” Jenny said.

“I love children and it’s through teaching that I can make a difference to their lives and do something meaningful for my country.”

So highly does Jenny value education that she left her job, home, husband and four children behind in 2008 and made the daunting move to Brisbane to study at QUT.

“When I came here I was so lonely the first few weeks that I cried myself to sleep,” she said.  

“Then I thought to myself – this won’t do. I’m a sociable person by nature so I set out to make friends so that I could survive.”

While Jenny soon made friends at QUT and threw herself into her Bachelor of Education Early Childhood studies, she wasn’t the only one who felt that the pain of family separation was too much to bear.

Her husband, Michael, moved to Brisbane in July 2009 and found a job and they then brought their four children to Brisbane before Christmas that year.

“We haven’t looked back since,” Jenny said.

“The children settled in at Yeronga State School and love their schoolwork as well as their sport.”

“We’ve made a lot of friends in the local area but after completing my degree I feel an overwhelming urge to go back to PNG and through teaching help children there succeed in life.”

Thirty-six-year-old Jenny has been offered a five-year teaching position at the international school at Mt Hagen and her four children, all girls, aged 12, 10, seven and five, will attend school there as well.

The youngest, Lesley, will be one of her pupils in the prep and grade one class.

“I feel really well-prepared to teach, having done a lot of practical teaching as part of my degree and I have lots of ideas to implement in the classroom,” she said.

 “The support I received from teachers and mentors at QUT has helped prepare me and other classmates for real work.”

“While doing our prac work we were always encouraged to solve problems on our own and not run away from them, so now I know I’m ready to lead a classroom.”

While she was already working as a primary school teacher in Milne Bay before coming to Australia, the Bachelor of Education Early Childhood will enable Jenny to contribute to the establishment and development of early childhood education in PNG and run demonstration classes for colleagues.

Ready to embark on a new chapter in her career, Jenny said her time in Australia and at QUT have changed her attitudes to life.

“I experienced so many different cultures while living and studying in Brisbane that I feel like an international person rather than solely a Papua New Guinean,” Jenny said.