Sunday, May 27, 2012

Today's buai pekpek (betelnut shit) in Port Moresby

The desecration of this signboard shows how primitive and incapable Papua New Guineans are.
The sign read "Yusim het bilong yu, noken spet (use your head, don't spit), however, just a few days after it was erected, has already been painted red with buai pekpek.
This is why PNG will go nowhere!

Outside Mobil Service Station Waigani

I suppose everyone's too busy politicking to clean up

Many have eyes but do not see

Overturned drum outside BSP Waigani

"Treat our city as your pikinini (child)". Very simple words, and if all of us followed, we would change this city and country overnight at no cost at all. The sad fact is that Papua New Guineans take no pride and ownership at all...Amen!

Take a close look at the side of the pavement!

Kanaka pasin (uncivilised behaviour)!

The last word!

The shame of PNG

It really saddened me to walk past Boroko Motors, Waigani Drive, today and see these two tattered, broken PNG flags flying high over the car yard.
Does this company have respect for PNG?

PNG Governor-General won't sign anything

By Eoin Blackwell

AAP Papua New Guinea Correspondent

Papua New Guinea's governor-general has washed his hands of both sides of the nation's political dispute, with his office saying he will not sign any documents until a government is formed after the election.
A senior member of the office of Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio says the head of state has refused to sign any documents presented by parliamentary elected prime minister Peter O'Neill or from his court-appointed rival for the top job, Sir Michael Somare.
The spokesman says the governor-general has also refused to sign an instrument recalling parliament for a special sitting last week in which the government voted for a state of emergency in three provinces including the capital, Port Moresby.
"No documents have been received by the governor-general and that includes the state of emergency (declared by parliament on Friday)," the spokesman, who declined to be named, told AAP today (Sunday).
He said Sir Michael Ogio had refused to sign the document approving Friday's special sitting of parliament at which MPs voted for a state of emergency.
"He received that document but he did not sign it," the spokesman said, answering "negative" when asked the question two more times.
"Go to the election. That was advised to everybody from the beginning, go to the election."
The spokesman said the governor-general was seeking legal advice.
A government gazette authorising an emergency sitting of parliament and bearing Sir Michael Ogio's name but not his signature, was circulated to media on Wednesday.
A spokesman for Mr O'Neill said parliament had been convened only after advice had been sought from the governor-general.
"The Speaker convened parliament upon receiving a government gazette, which gazetted the head of state's decision recalling parliament," said Mr O'Neill's spokesman, who also declined to be named.
"The governor deferred the signing of the document two or three hours (after a scheduled appointment was delayed)."
The increasingly volatile political situation in Port Moresby has given birth to a virtual game of shadows, with spokespeople reluctant to be quoted on the record.
Constitutional lawyer Ray Williams told AAP that parliament could not be convened without the consent of the governor-general.
"The instrument must be signed by the governor-general, otherwise it is not an instrument at all," Mr Williams said.
"In terms of the sitting itself, if it is not approved by the governor-general, in effect it would not be constitutional to do that."
Parliament voted on Friday to advise Sir Michael Ogio on the state of emergency, a move which gives Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga greater powers to arrest and detain.
Sir Michael Somare has issued a statement urging the nation's armed forces not to take any more action, saying a gazette approving parliament's emergency is illegal.
"I have checked with the office of the governor-general and his excellency has personally informed me that he did not sign any approval for parliament to sit last week," he said in a statement.
"The gazettal therefore to reconvene parliament is fraudulent and yet another abuse of process by the O'Neill regime."
A police spokesman said the state of emergency would not come into effect until the force's high command received documentation from the governor-general.
"As soon as those documents are gazetted and signed by the G-G, we will act on them," he said.
"The police are on standby."
Campaigning for PNG's eighth election since independence from Australia is in full swing and the June 23 poll is just four weeks away.
The nation was rocked this week by further political turmoil when the Supreme Court ruled in a disputed decision that Sir Michael Somare was the nation's legitimate prime minister.
Two judges declined to rule on ethical grounds.
Deputy PM Belden Namah stormed into the court on Thursday in an attempt to arrest Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia, who was later charged with sedition and released.
A splinter group of police officers blockaded parliament on Friday to prevent the special sitting from taking place.
After hours of negotiation with senior officers, the group disbanded.
AAP has also learned that Governor-General Ogio will depart PNG on Monday for Britain to participate in the Queen's Birthday celebrations.
According to protocol, Speaker Jeffrey Nape will become acting governor-general until Sir Michael Ogio returns on June 12.

Business Council calls for respect for law

The Business Council of PNG, in response to the Supreme Court decision and subsequent actions by the O’Neill government is calling for restraint and a respect for the rule of law.

"The ongoing dispute between the two factions is only adding to the confusion as PNG prepares to go to the polls," said president Ernie Gangloff.

Ernie Gangloff

"The Business Council is calling on all stakeholders to respect the Supreme Court’s decision and allow the citizens to cast their votes as they seek to elect members to a new parliament.
"We are calling on all stakeholders to remain calm and allow the democratic process to continue.
"We also call on the disciplined forces to respect the rule of law.
"We respectfully call on Sir Michael Somare and Peter O’ Neill to rally support from within their respective camps to ensure that the elections are not impeded in any way."

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Hidden Valley landowners see first fruits of mine agreement

Nauti landowners in Hidden Valley, Morobe province, are now seeing the fruits of a benefit sharing agreement (BSA) signed between them, landowner association Nakuwi, and mine owners Newcrest and Harmony, The National reports.

Five months after the BSA, two of the mine landowner villages have now received the first lot of benefits from that agreement.

Last Friday, the Nauti people received an Isuzu truck and walkabout sawmill through the BSA under the Hidden Valley Mine Benefit Sharing Trust (HVMBST).

Excited Nauti villagers beside the new truck

Winima landowners were the first to receive similar items a week earlier.

At the presentation held at the village, government, HiddenValley mine representatives, community and Nakuwi leaders encouraged the people to take care of the properties and use them for the intended purpose of improving and developing their villages.

The truck and sawmill was the result of the signing of the trust deed in late 2011 following extensive consultation with the Nakuwi Association and mine area community leaders.

The purpose of the trust is to provide additional socio-economic benefits to the mine landowning communities of Nauti, Kwembu and Winima, (Nakuwi), which are tied to the continuing successful operation of the Hidden Valley Mine.

Starting with an initial contribution of K3 million, trust proceeds will be used on community infrastructure, capacity building, education, training, community development and business development projects and programmes nominated by the respective village planning committees.

Ongoing funding to the trust is anticipated to be approximately K1.5 million per annum based on fixed and variable amounts tied to mine revenues.

The trust is governed by a board of consisting of representatives from the Nakuwi Association; Nauti, Kwembu, and Winima villages; Morobe provincial government; Mineral Resources Authority; and Hidden Valley Joint Venture, operator of the mine.

Pioneer kiap (patrol officer) Lloyd Hurrell dies

Lloyd Hurrell, the last of the pre World War 11 kiaps (patrol officers) in New Guinea died peacefully at home on Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Lloyd Hurrell,

His funeral will be at 11am on June 4, 2012 at Tweed Heads Crematorium.
Hurrell was the last of the pre WW11 kiaps- and one with an exemplary record.
Later a pioneer coffee-planter at Wau in the 1950s, he was one of the founders of the old Coffee Industry Board - the boardroom at the present Coffee Industry Corporation building in Goroka is named after him.
Hurrell is survived by his wife and three children.
Son Don is one of the few AusAid consultants serving in PNG who can be said to have made a real difference by his presence ( as a police advisor in Goroka where Bob Cleland undoubtedly met him recently).
Hurrell had been in ill health since a fall resulting in a broken hip some months ago.
He remained weak and unwell after discharge from hospital and died peacefully, at home, last Tuesday afternoon.
In 1939, (Albert) Lloyd Hurrell applied for the position of cadet patrol officer advertised in Sydney newspapers.
After serving briefly as a kiap in New Guinea, Hurrell joined the Australian Military Forces in 1940.
He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions on November 11, 1942 during fierce fighting after the recapture of Kokoda.

After WW11, Hurrell returned to kiap duties in New Guinea.
In 1950 he was appointed Acting District Officer of the Menyamya district, and was instructed to establish a new settlement at this remote post in the ‘uncontrolled’ area.
The following year, Hurrell was ordered to investigate a raid on the village of Kiatsong during which several people were killed.
While investigating the raid, Hurrell’s party was attacked.
He fired a warning shot, which unfortunately killed one of the attacking men.
Hurrell resigned from his kiap duties in 1954, and established a farm and coffee plantation near Wau in the province of Morobe.
He entered national politics in Papua New Guinea, and served for many years as President of the PNG Coffee Marketing Board.
In 1969 Hurrell was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to the Board.