Thugs attack family at park

By KEVIN TEME

A FATHER and his son were treated in hospital for injuries they received when they were attacked by armed thugs at a public park, The National reports.
Simon Walg and son John Bereu were with family members at the Varirata National Park, Sogeri, outside Port Moresby, on Saturday for a Christmas family outing when they were attacked.
Walg, Bereu and his wife Jenny, their sons and family friend Regina Augustine were taken by surprise.
Walg and Bereu were attacked with bush knives while Jenny was threatened with a factory-made gun.
Sons Joesen and Kapul watched helplessly as their dad bled from the knife wound.
They were rushed to the Port Moresby Ge­neral Hospital but because there were no doctors on duty, they had to be taken to Paradise Hospital.
Jenny managed to scare the thugs off at the park after she ignored the gun pointed at her, ran to her husband’s taxi and grabbed his bush knife.
“I did not care if they had to shoot me because when I saw my husband and Walg bleeding badly, I managed to get away and did not care if they will shoot me,’’ she said.
“I went straight to my husband’s taxi, grabbed the bush knife and came back running at them. They did not shoot me but instead ran into the nearby forest.”
She believed the thugs only wanted to harm them and not steal anything.
“We had our backs turned at the lookout point of the park to see the city when the first one came hit my husband on the neck before running straight at Walg and hit him too,” she said.
She said Walg tried to ward off the knife and prevented more injuries to himself.
She blamed the incident on the National Environment and Conservation Department  which for some reason had reduced security officers at the park.
She said the park should be well guarded so that families could use it.
“At the moment, the park is not safe and the security is not guaranteed,” she said.
“Similar incidents happened before and it will be worse if the NEC does not look into this matter. We could see lives being lost out there.”
No comments could be obtained from the police and the department yesterday.

Suspect kills and eats woman

By ELIAS LARI

POLICE in Enga have arrested a man for allegedly killing a three-month pregnant woman and eating part of her body, The National reports.
Police said the gruesome murder took place in Mona­kam village in the Kompiam-Ambum electorate last Tuesday.
Police believe the man had been high on marijuana when he allegedly cannibalised the woman.
Police said they had never come across such an incident before.
They described it as a first of its kind in the province – one which was known more for tribal fight and not cannibalistic practices.
Provincial police commander Martin Lakari said last Friday the man had been detained at the Wabag police cell.
Lakari said the man drank the woman’s blood and then started cutting her throat and ate it before locals were alerted and stopped the man.
He said locals then alerted police who arrested the man.
Lakari said to arrest such a person was not that easy because he had tasted human blood.
Police had to tie him with a rope before taking him to the police station.
Lakari described it as “unbelievable” and inhuman.
He said the man allegedly smoked marijuana and when his throat turned dry, he attacked the woman with a knife, killing her instantly.
Lakari said as the woman lay dead on the ground the man licked her blood and started eating her throat.
Lakari said these were actions of drug addicts and mentally ill people.
He said such actions had painted a bad name for the province.
Lakari said the woman had been expecting her first child and therefore it was a double murder because she was pregnant.
Lakari warned people, especially women whose husbands were known for smoking marijuana, to avoid them when they were alone.
He warned mothers not to let their children stay home with their fathers because such an incident could happen.
He said women and children must protect themselves and make sure to avoid such people who were mentally ill

American missionary attacked in Pangia

AN American Baptist missionary was attacked by a group of prisoners after row over land ensued between the Correctional Service (CS)and the Baptist mission, The National reports.

The land is at the Pangia station in Southern Highlands.

Missionary Chad Wells said a group of 20 prisoners armed with knives had been cutting grass in the mission compound while two unarmed warders watched over them.
Wells had asked the warders why they were cutting grass in the mission’s compound.
They replied that the land had been surveyed for a rural prison improvement project initiated by local MP and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.
Wells told the warders that the mission held the title over the land. He tried to stop the prisoners from cutting trees but they attacked him with their knives, injuring his right back and wrist.
He said the warders did nothing to stop the prisoners and instead threatened to kill him and remove him.
They claimed that the CIS held the title to the land since the 1970s.
He said when the warders were asked to produce the papers on the land ownership, they ignored him.
Another missionary and a doctor who were at the scene said Wells was unarmed – and he was punched thrice on his chest when he intervened.
Nixon Kanema, the officer in charge of land matters in Ialibu-Pangia district, said the CS should have consulted the district administration.
He said the Baptist mission had the relevant land documents  and urged CIS authorities to develop the existing prison area and look for other alternative land.

A successful year in agriculture for NARI

By JAMES LARAKI of NARI

As 2011 approaches its end and 2012 lies only days away, we are proud that National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) continues to make very good progress in accomplishing its strategic objective and impacting positively on the lives of our people.

Basic food processing training conducted by NARI for women in the Huon district in partnership with Bris Kanda, a local NGO

This was echoed by NARI director general, Dr Raghunath Ghodake, in his Christmas message to staff, partners and stakeholders, acknowledging that this would not have been possible without their tireless efforts.

Among these achievements was the launching of the NARI-EU Agricultural Research for Development project on generation and adaptation of agricultural technologies to mitigate climate change imposed risks to food security in smallholder farming communities in western pacific countries of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and PNG.

Participants from Solomon Islands at the popular communications workshop held recently under the capacity building project of NAI-EU Science and Technology Programme

 This mega project is in addition to the three projects for capacity building which are being implemented by the Institute under the EU ACP Science and Technology Programme.

These projects will benefit agricultural research and development organisations in the Western Pacific Countries. 

VIPs led by NARI director general, Dr Raghunath Ghodake and Morobe Governor, Luther Wenge, making their way to officiate the Agricultural Innovations Show staged at Bubia, outside Lae in May

Dr Ghodake noted that many areas of these projects had been successfully implemented during 2011.   In May, NARI celebrated its 14^th anniversary, coinciding with the staging of the 5^th Agricultural Innovations Show. 

NARI director general, Dr Raghunath Ghodake and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to PNG, Dr Martin Dihm with shell money presented by Solomon Island representatives at the lauching of the EU ARD project at the Holiday Inn early this year

 During this event, the institute officially released three improved technologies to the farming community.

These included two blight-resistant potato varieties, two cool-tolerant rice varieties for the highlands and the broiler feeding system developed using locally-available resources, bringing the number of NARI-released technologies to 27.

Anton Mais (right) of NARI explaining to visitors to the agriculture innovation show on the use of a simple cooling system being promoted by NARI

Dr Ghodake also noted the institute’s continued achievements in many excellent outcomes such as quality publications, staging of and participating in important public events, working with local organisations and rural communities on technology transfer-related activities, increased participation in post-graduate training, direct funding from AusAID, and wider acclaim from stakeholders and civic society for information dissemination through the print  and electronic media, field days, public shows, training sessions and demonstrations. 

It was noted that during year, NARI staff participated in a wide range of workshops, conferences, training programmes and technical consultations both locally and internationally.

 They also produced an array of conference or workshop papers, corporate documents, technical bulletins and scientific journal publications.

NARI has made good progress on the refocused institute planning and alignment of the organisational structure and management systems so as to contribute effectively to improving the outputs and farm level outcomes and impacts. 

The institute has developed its Strategy and Results Framework (a corporate document), a key milestone and the basis for further focusing and planning at the programme and projects levels.

“We will continue to develop further the Institute and build on relevant capacities to create a congenial environment for AR4D and to further improve in service delivery efforts for our primary clients, the smallholder farmers of PNG, while at the same time continue to deliver on currently implemented projects and on‐going activities”, Dr Ghodake added.

“We are pleased with the confirmation in March by the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts of our prudence in financial management and accountability.

“We will continue to undertake the institute’s financial management within the established financial guidelines and procedures.

“ NARI will continue to be pro-active in providing good corporate governance from our very able council and equally good leadership at the executive management level”.

Dr Ghodake expressed that these achievements could not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of the PNG Government,  AusAID, EU, stakeholders, donors and NARI staff from all programmes and at all levels, stating the institute highly appreciated and treasured their commitments and contributions.

While wishing all staff, partners and stakeholders an enjoyable festive season on behalf of the NARI council and management, he called for their continued and proactive contributions in 2012 and the years to come for the benefit of the farming community who depend partly or wholly on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Sanguma founder Tony Subam dies

Well know musician and founder of Sanguma, Soru (Tony) Subam, died on Christmas Day after a short illness.
Widely considered to be a founder of Papua New Guinea's contemporary music scene,  Subam co-formed Sanguma in 1977, melding the PNG cultural traditions with western instrumentation. Headlining the South Pacific Arts Festival, they were the first PNG band to tour internationally.
Subam has been an inspiration to a whole generation of PNG musicians.

Police commissioner court case deferred to January 2012

The court case between Fred Yakasa and Tom Kulunga over who is the right police commissioner has been deferred to January 12, 2012, NBC reports.

This was because of an amendment ti the originating summons by Yakasa's lawyer, David Dotaona.

The Last Confession

Last night, till the early hours of this morning, I read MORRIS WEST'S final novel before his death, THE LAST CONFESSION, which is about GIORDANO BRUNO, Dominican monk and rationalist philosopher, who was burnt at the stake in Rome's Campo dei Flori on Feb 17, 1600. 

Bruno's beliefs and writings were considered heretical by the Catholic Church. 

Investigated and tortured by the Holy Office of the Inquisition, and incarcerated for seven years in Rome's worst prison, Bruno was given the opportunity to recant but chose instead to die for his beliefs.