More roads lead to Rome


By Susan Merrell

There is so much smoke surrounding the name of Philip Eludeme, current Chairman of the Central Supplies and Tenders Board (CSTB - in the way of unanswered allegations and dubious past deals) that I'm forced to wonder why the Taskforce Sweep or Ombudsmans Commission do not have him in their sights, suspecting the smoke may lead them to the fire – because there's a serious conflagration burning unchecked in PNG. (Maybe they already do.)

Another cursory google search has unearthed these allegations – they're out there already in the pubic forum, for anyone who has an interest to find.  They're lurking there available to those who have the power and the will to investigate:

On March 9, 2012 a poster on a popular social media website, that has been mooted as changing the face of politics in PNG, remarked:
Philip Eludeme a business associate to Belden Namah who is the SOLE DIRECTOR in this Bewani Palms Management Limited on this oil palm project is now the Central Supplies & Tenders Board (CSTB) Chairman.
Yes, I saw that too in the written reports on the yet-to-be-tabled SABL Inquiry.

Whether this constituted a conflict-of-interest situation with his subsequent appointment is moot and really of little or no consequence – as it certainly creates that perception.  A government seeking to slough off the mantle of corruption can ill-afford to create this sort of public perception.

On April 23, 2012, the same commentator in the same forum said:  
                                                  
Today's Post Courier Page 2 Talks about ROAD BUILDER DEFENDS HIS SUCCESSFUL BID. The Owner of Wopa Construction Limited has been awarded a K10 million project to seal Mt. Hagen City ahead of well know Construction Companies with Credibility and who have been in the industry for so long. The owner Fred Wak is the Owner of Highway Inn at 1mile in Lae, Also recently appointed a Board Director at PNG Power Limited and has been awarded a K10 million contract through CSTB whom the Chaiman is Philip Eludeme who was the Party Secretary to PNG Party Sometime back. How sad such is happening to our people's money. I don't think it was awarded on Merit....God Bless PNG

And it's not only the social media that has been wondering about this man as is in evidence by the posting that I reproduced from last week's Post Courier (my previous article) that also asked similar questions and made similar connections.  That Philip Eludeme was party secretary for the PNG Party is something about which I know nothing and therefore cannot comment on the veracity of the statement.

Then, in coincidence with my last article, once again, the social media voiced it's own separate concerns over the behaviour of the Chairman of the CSTB, writing: (18 February, 2013 – Sharp Talk)
Can someone confirm if CSTB Chairman called the Transport Department and advised it to give preferential treatment to a particular company for the tender to build national wharves and jetties? Nawae Construction was the only contractor that went through the normal process meeting all requirements of the tender. However, a second company purportedly registered in India and of which Jimmy Maladina is a director, was sought to be given preferential treatment and included besides Nawae.
A well-respected member of the PNG community replied:

CSTB did the same thing with Angau Hospital Redevelopment project. They dont go along with the agencies recommendations. Its colusion.
Furthermore, I am greatly troubled by the article of Gilbert Mondo who exhorts: "Let's put an end to this discussion" …when it's only just beginning and not even nearly resolved. Why's that Gilbert?

It's because he states in his penultimate paragraph: "I wish not to be silenced and slaughtered by her lies and venoms."

Well that would be extremely difficult for me to do, Mr Mondo (or whoever you are) as I have never mentioned you  - and had no knowledge of your existence prior to three days ago.  I have no interest whatsoever in Gilbert Mondo.  But that's not who you really are, is it?

So who are you?  Let's guess – it doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar.  Dear readers: you whistle, I'll point.
Furthermore, if you are who everyone has now guessed that you probably are -due to your inattentive faux pas and lapse into the first person -(I do hope, for the sake of PNG, that you're mathematical ability is not impaired by the same slap-dash attention you give to the written word) then to invoke the current sickening situation regarding the burning of a women alive in PNG in order to threaten me into silence is conduct unbecoming of someone in high public office and brings the government of PNG into disrepute and by association the people.  Well done, you should be ashamed.

But, then again, that's what this post is all about, isn't it?  Conduct unbecoming amongst other allegations even more heinous.  

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