Sunday, November 29, 2009
New Ireland makes a comeback
The former Prime Minister said in Kavieng last Friday that he had rehashed the political system and totally realigned the public service.
Although Sir Julius did not mention it, it is understood that he was referring to his predecessor Ian Ling-Stuckey, whose illegal financial and administrative system known as the “Limus Structure” brought about massive problems during his tenure.
An investigation into the financial dealings of the
According to the report, the illegal Limus Structure was organised by Mr Ling-Stuckey and Kavieng MP Martin Aini.
It was a pyramid-type structure where Mr Ling Stuckey was positioned at the top followed by the two open MPs from the province (Kavieng and Namatanai) then the district coordinators, local level government coordinators, ward coordinators then down to segments of the community then onto individuals.
Tabling the report in the
During the five-year period over K64m of public investment funds belonging to Papua New Guinean taxpayers were unaccounted for.
The New Ireland provincial executive council, through its decision number 11/2008, appointed an independent investigation to be carried out by RAMS Business Consultants supported by Loani Henao of Henao Lawyers to investigate the financial affairs of the New Ireland province from 2002-2007.
The report strongly recommends for appropriate criminal, civil and leadership action against Mr Ling-Stuckey and former provincial administrator Robinson Sirambat.
Sir Julius said at last Friday’s graduation at the
“We are fully aware that to make the Malangan Declaration real – bold and visionary leadership at all levels, from Members of Parliament, Governor, public service and local government councilors,” he said.
“Already, we have rehashed the political system, totally realigned the public service, making it more operational, effective, transparent and accountable, rejecting self-interest and weed out all forms of cronyism and corruption.
“Our mission is to be a force for positive change, to inspire others to greatness through being a catalyst for action – always striving to continually invent the future out of our imagination.
“Ours is not a fixed period or a 40-year strategic plan but a spiritual, living document of hope – clinging to the unchanging principles but adjust to changing times.
“Unlike our sick and stifled Parliament, we insist on full participatory democracy in that the people of New Ireland, however remote, come together to dedicate and commit themselves to create a society in which the powerful and weak, rich and poor, work together to extend the benefits of development to all the people; promote unity, peace and a common resolve so that the province will realise its full potential and that no-one shall be left behind in the development of the province.”
Entertainment a'la New Ireland
A singsing group from Tabar Island, New Ireland province, peforming at the National Fisheries College in Kavieng last Friday after the inaugural graduation of degree students in fisheries and marine resources.
Beautiful Nago Island, New Ireland province
I had the privilege of visiting beautiful Nago Island off Kavieng, New Ireland province, last Friday. This is where the National Fisheries Authority is building a research centre for international researchers as well as students from the National Fisheries College in Kavieng. The NFA is working in partnership with beighbouring Nusa Island Retreat to also build a resort for tourists. This is a beautiful part of paradise Papua New Guinea.
Where to from here?
From PAUL OATES in Queensland, Australia
Hi Malum,
Compliments on a good report on your blog today about what Sir Julius' said in his speech. Together with the Governor General and many other intelligent PNG people today, they have finally had the guts to enunciate how it really is.
The answer however is not to keep saying what everyone knows is the problem. The real question is why no one appears able to do something about the problem?
Where is Governor Wenge who trumpeted how smart he was to effectively send the Australian Police support packing?
Where is the Deputy PM? Drinking champagne at the arrival of a luxury private jet?
Where is PM (Empty Promises) Somare when innocent little children in the Highlands are being chopped to pieces with axes and women raped and men shot at illegal road blocks?
No one seems to be able to get their head around reality. It appears that no one can apparently grasp that PNG is no longer governed. Those who believe they are governing the country are actually living in a fantasy world of their own making.
Reality is that PNG has reached that point where the country is unable to be governed in many places. Hitherto, anyone saying this would be castigated and denounced as being ill-informed and unduly negative. Those claims must now be seen for what they are: An 'Empty' excuse from those who are responsible to try and divert attention away from the mess they have created. Those responsible for PNG woes clearly do not know how to fix the problem. Buying political favours at K2m each member will not prevent the lawlessness from growing. PNG leaders are leading the way but it clearly isn't in the right direction. Corruption and waste are now so rampant that no one seems to know where ethical behaviour ends and corruption begins.
With the PNG Parliament now not meeting again until March 2010, the country has another four months to slide further into the morass without any
competent leadership. If the messages currently rocketing around PNG about burning Asian businesses on New Years Eve actually eventuate, exactly what will the PNG government do about this threat to law and order? Ask Australia to send another RAMSI force? I don't think so.
Wantok, husat inap long stretim displa hevi?
Paul
Hi Malum,
Compliments on a good report on your blog today about what Sir Julius' said in his speech. Together with the Governor General and many other intelligent PNG people today, they have finally had the guts to enunciate how it really is.
The answer however is not to keep saying what everyone knows is the problem. The real question is why no one appears able to do something about the problem?
Where is Governor Wenge who trumpeted how smart he was to effectively send the Australian Police support packing?
Where is the Deputy PM? Drinking champagne at the arrival of a luxury private jet?
Where is PM (Empty Promises) Somare when innocent little children in the Highlands are being chopped to pieces with axes and women raped and men shot at illegal road blocks?
No one seems to be able to get their head around reality. It appears that no one can apparently grasp that PNG is no longer governed. Those who believe they are governing the country are actually living in a fantasy world of their own making.
Reality is that PNG has reached that point where the country is unable to be governed in many places. Hitherto, anyone saying this would be castigated and denounced as being ill-informed and unduly negative. Those claims must now be seen for what they are: An 'Empty' excuse from those who are responsible to try and divert attention away from the mess they have created. Those responsible for PNG woes clearly do not know how to fix the problem. Buying political favours at K2m each member will not prevent the lawlessness from growing. PNG leaders are leading the way but it clearly isn't in the right direction. Corruption and waste are now so rampant that no one seems to know where ethical behaviour ends and corruption begins.
With the PNG Parliament now not meeting again until March 2010, the country has another four months to slide further into the morass without any
competent leadership. If the messages currently rocketing around PNG about burning Asian businesses on New Years Eve actually eventuate, exactly what will the PNG government do about this threat to law and order? Ask Australia to send another RAMSI force? I don't think so.
Wantok, husat inap long stretim displa hevi?
Paul
Sunset over Nago Island, New Ireland province
I caught this beautiful sunset over Nago Island, off Kavieng, New Ireland province, last Friday.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Papua New Guinea goes backward since 1975
From MALUM NALU in Kavieng
Papua New Guinea has gone backwards since 1975, according to one of the country's founding fathers and former Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan.
Sir Julius admitted to graduating students, including the first-ever fisheries and marines resources degree students, from the University of Natural Resources and Environment in Kavieng last Friday (Nov 27).
He said all that he and his fellow visionaries had worked towards at the time of independence in 1975 had been destroyed overnight.
This contradicts what the government, through Deputy Prime Minister Sir Puka Temu, said on Sept 16 this year that the country had developed over the last 34 years.
"Today, I stand before you 34 years after the creation of our country and say to you that we have not lived up to the promises we made in 1975," Sir Julius admitted.
"We have not brought the improvement in the quality of life of our people that we hoped to bring.
"We have not provided the health care, the education, the infrastructure that we should have provided.
"There is no sense in trying to avoid this unpleasant conclusion.
"If we cannot be honest with ourselves, then we have no hope of doing better.
"Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it, and I refuse to think we will repeat our mistakes."
Sir Julius said some people, especially national government, continued to insist that PNG had made progress and had become a better place for the people since 1975.
"That is not true," he said.
"I am here to tell you that we need to do better.
"I am here to tell you the truth so that you – the young people of our country – can do a better job than we have done to this point.
"It is unfortunate but true that since independence, Papua New Guinea has consistently failed to improve the health care of our people.
"According to the World Bank, we have fewer aid posts open today that we did at independence.
"And we know the condition of those that are still open – they have not power, most have no clean water supply, and many have no housing for our health care workers.
"Likewise, we have failed to improve access to education for our people.
"We just have to look around us.
"Our primary and elementary schools are falling apart.
"We do not have basic textbooks in the schools, we do not have decent toilets for our children, we do not have decent teachers' houses, and often we do not even have the teachers because the housing is so bad that they cannot live in it.
"Look around.
"We all know that this is true.
"And our infrastructure is not better.
"We used to have roads that we could travel on, but they have not been maintained for 10 or 15 or 20 years.
"Our roads have 'gone bush' and our people cannot get to market to generate income.
"Our children have to walk so many kilometers every day just to get to school, and when they get there, they have no books, no toilets, and sometimes no teachers."
Sir Julius said this was the real situation in PNG that the national government failed to admit.
"We have had huge amounts of wealth taken out of the country," he said.
"We have had reasonable macroeconomic growth.
"But our people have not benefited, they have actually suffered.
"That is not development.
"That is not progress.
"That is failure, pure and simple.
"It is a failure of our national institutions to provide the basic services that they should have provided.
"And it a failure we can no longer accept!"
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