CAN WE TRUST THE PRIME MINISTER AND HIS MINISTER RICHARD MARU?
By JOHN ENDEMONGO KUA
Last week both Peter Oneil and Richard Maru scampered out out of a chopper soaked in urine after an over view of the fertile Sepik plains where they are scheming a grand oil palm project which will require a capital input of K100 million to lay down the infrastructure and other establishment costs in partnership with Wilmar International a leading agro industry corporation specialing in palm oil and other seed oil products.
From the outset it looks promising for the local landowners and the people of East Sepik and the nation to actually undertake a major agriculture project that will roll out spin off benefits through employment and related industries which will create wealth and earn us the much needed export dollar needed to strengthen our economy and social welfare.
However the shady part of the project is the lack of transparency and misinformation by the proponent of the project and the governments media unit that have failed to present the facts of the project to the landowners and the provincial and local governments who are going to be the stake holders in this gigantic agriculture project in the Sepik plains.
Firstly the portion of land described as 144C has already been leased to Sepik Oil Palms Plantations Limited who are operating and managing the Turubu oil palm project, and therefore is not vacant to lease out to a new tenant. Secondly, the information fed to the local level government leaders and landowners is that it is a government owned project which will benefit the community in general, when in actual fact is misleading in that the company that is to receive government subsidy to kick start the oil palm project is a private entity owned by the minister for trade and industry, Richard Maru as its single share holder with two Directors in John Andrias and Vele Ila 'ava as the Directors who are both departmental heads.
Sepik Agro Industries LTD remains a private entity owned by Richard Maru and does not have a shareholders structure that involves the landowners and the national government, provincial or the local government so why should the state invest K100 million for the benefit of a single individual who has used deception so far to benefit himself and his cronies. Wilmar International is a high profile company with an investment portfolio worth more than $200 blllion so what is the arrangement for them to enter as equity partners or project managers and consultants?
One thing for sure is that Richard Maru may have picked up some tips from the former minister for Trade and Industry Gabriel Kapris who persuaded the government of PNG to promote foreign investment with an unknown Korean fraudster posing as an investment conglomerate only to rip landowners funds in MRDC to the tune of K100 million only to disappear into thin air leaving behind an empty and worthless sandhill castle not worth a single dime. The Ombudsman Commission should prosecute Richard Maru for fraud and corruption and dismiss such characters from holding public office.
Last week both Peter Oneil and Richard Maru scampered out out of a chopper soaked in urine after an over view of the fertile Sepik plains where they are scheming a grand oil palm project which will require a capital input of K100 million to lay down the infrastructure and other establishment costs in partnership with Wilmar International a leading agro industry corporation specialing in palm oil and other seed oil products.
From the outset it looks promising for the local landowners and the people of East Sepik and the nation to actually undertake a major agriculture project that will roll out spin off benefits through employment and related industries which will create wealth and earn us the much needed export dollar needed to strengthen our economy and social welfare.
However the shady part of the project is the lack of transparency and misinformation by the proponent of the project and the governments media unit that have failed to present the facts of the project to the landowners and the provincial and local governments who are going to be the stake holders in this gigantic agriculture project in the Sepik plains.
Firstly the portion of land described as 144C has already been leased to Sepik Oil Palms Plantations Limited who are operating and managing the Turubu oil palm project, and therefore is not vacant to lease out to a new tenant. Secondly, the information fed to the local level government leaders and landowners is that it is a government owned project which will benefit the community in general, when in actual fact is misleading in that the company that is to receive government subsidy to kick start the oil palm project is a private entity owned by the minister for trade and industry, Richard Maru as its single share holder with two Directors in John Andrias and Vele Ila 'ava as the Directors who are both departmental heads.
Sepik Agro Industries LTD remains a private entity owned by Richard Maru and does not have a shareholders structure that involves the landowners and the national government, provincial or the local government so why should the state invest K100 million for the benefit of a single individual who has used deception so far to benefit himself and his cronies. Wilmar International is a high profile company with an investment portfolio worth more than $200 blllion so what is the arrangement for them to enter as equity partners or project managers and consultants?
One thing for sure is that Richard Maru may have picked up some tips from the former minister for Trade and Industry Gabriel Kapris who persuaded the government of PNG to promote foreign investment with an unknown Korean fraudster posing as an investment conglomerate only to rip landowners funds in MRDC to the tune of K100 million only to disappear into thin air leaving behind an empty and worthless sandhill castle not worth a single dime. The Ombudsman Commission should prosecute Richard Maru for fraud and corruption and dismiss such characters from holding public office.
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