JOHN PUNDARI DECEPTION BEHIND THE MASK
The member for Kompiam/Ambum is serving his fourth term in Parliament as member elect for the electorate. He first got elected in 1992 general election and retained seat in 1997. In 2002, he opted to contest the Enga regional seat challenging seating regional member Peter Ipatas but lost for he was egocentric. He returned to politics in 2007 and contested for Kompiam/Ambum, the seat he vacated when vying for Enga regional. He defeated the incumbent seating member Dickson Maki. In the last national election he retained his seat and this is his fourth term.
Rest of Papua New Guinea perhaps contemplating, he must be not only a good leader but an ideal, that’s why people keep returning Pundari election after another. People are opinionated but never have had the firsthand knowledge of what transpires in the electorate. Give them the benefit of doubt, they are entitled to forming those views and opinions. However, needless to say he is ruthless and next lines expounds why.
Born and bred in a little known village called Merimanda, a village on a ridge that divides Kompiam & Ambum and this is where the woman who gave birth to John hails from.
He has done his primary education and transitioned through to Wabag high school (than) now called Sir Tei Able Secondary School. From here, he went to Passam National High School but never got to complete for reasons only known to him and withdrew. Whilst at home, he did what he could to lay his hands on to keep his head above water and the other day, decided to apply for job with Bank South Pacific (BSP) and worked as a bank Teller until he resigned to contest for Kompian/Ambun seat in 1992.
With his first ever election victory in 1992 under the first-past-the-post election system, a candidate from upper Ambum valley called Cornelius Kakale was sailing well and pre-poll opinions predicated he was the known horse destined to come home (win). Signs were all over, however, few yards away from Monakam in Anditale, Michael Magala, former provincial member (MPA) paid his nomination fee and contested either. Between Cornelius and Michael, envy was brewing and spilled into supporters of both candidates. Michael Magala never had the bedrock support base and knew all along that his arch rival Cornelius was destined to win. Being a close neighbour and him (Cornelius) winning, was not only defeating and humiliating but envious and didn’t anticipate that. He devised a malicious plan that both would become losers. The advantage Michael had was, Cornelius lives upstream and the only road network connectivity that connects the provincial capital passes through Anditale before arriving at Monokam. The content of his plan was, he engaged his diehard supporters to put up barricade at Anditale and forcefully remove the ballot box from Monokam (polling place) and throw it into mighty Ambum River. Mission successfully executed and Cornelius Kakale was heartbroken and John Thomas Pundari from no were put a centre try and stole the show. Cornelius Kakale was shattered to a great deal and to date remains traumatized because of the unforgettable event that denied him the most enviable office.
John Pundari is known in the electorate for being pathetic and crying in public for public sympathy (angi kis, eelya paenge). He knows pretty well and rides on the emotions of the naïve people by sympathy cry. He is also known for demeaning behaviours such is, pretends to throw his arm around to cuddle when in reality hates internally (ingi kakis kupingi, monam maka kaeyao piru), a talebearer (lamba, tumbipi lakodap pingi), an artist con man (lakao lakalyo) are some of his trademarks to say the least. He very much uses people for his maximum gain by offering empty promises and create in the people high expectation. The other crafty carnal trend he is developing is amongst his diehard supporters, he tells them to write a project proposal for X amount and asks the payees to make an undertaking to pay him back certain percentage of the project value. He has developed a new trend maximising every opportunity presented making a good killing.
Reverting to contesting for the regional seat in 2007, with his charm and eloquence in the local Engan language, he kept the West Engans captivated. Very articulate in the local language and fluency commanded a lot of following from the people. As it is known as Wild West, covering Laigam, Kandep and Porgera, there was moving wave of people from the Wild West committed substantial resources in cash and kind supporting John Pundari. At a campaign rally in Laigam station, a riot broke out and Pundari faction charged at Ipatas faction. Like an analogy of grass that suffers the most when two elephants are at loggerheads or on the collision course, supporters of two political heavyweights clashed and on that fateful day, lives lost and properties damaged. One of his diehard supporter namely Peter Wannis, in his haste fleeing from the scene being attacked by Ipatas supporters, drove over and took one human life. To date, John Thomas Pundari never assisted Peter Wannis with a single penny to compensate the relatives of the deceased. Host more shared similar sentiments by people from Wabag, Laigam, Porgera, Kandep and Wapenemanda districts who supported him in the regional. When the election result was rigged and tampered by the electoral officials in favour of the incumbent, he had overwhelming credible evidence to challenge Ipatas’ victory through the court of disputed return. He never did and succumbed to an offer of undisclosed amount only known to those facilitated the peace deal. Never pursued and abandoned the promising court case and disheartened supporters regarded him an opportunist. He betrayed people’s trust in totality and to date, he is regarded as a crafty cunning character.
The political marriage wasn’t propagated by commonly shared political ideologies or visions and aspirations. Their rivalry runs deep and entrancedly embedded, nevertheless, for the convenience of political survival, Pundari in disguise, put on the brave face crossing over to People’s Party. On face value, what he did appears justified for political correctness but the real reason why Pundari did what he did, remains lot to be desired. Ipatas is a smart politician and to him was a gain. Ipatas embraced and cuddled Pundari on face-value (ingi kakis kupii, monam maka kaeyaopiru) but down deep inside, didn’t like him one bit for it was vivid near miss incident that almost costed the regional seat to Pundari (never will Ipatas forget even under intoxication of grog). The above political marriage wasn’t on concrete terms and though both are in government and in one political party, the rift between the two arch rivals runs deep and very much remain so and it is telling the cracks are beginning to appear and only the time will tell.
Under John Thomas Pundar’s watch, breadth and length of Kompiam/Ambum as an electorate stands to lose in big time. With all the development grants, he is building up his tribal dynasty. There is K300, 000.00 (EU funded) worth of water supply project earmarked for his village. He sponsored a gigantic church building for his church (SDA) in the pretext of building community hall, 4 million kina earmarked for health facility, a rural police post, technical high school, a top-up school when population catchment does not warrant for all of the above. Now, he wants to establish a university centre at Merimanda and going around asking academics to write a proposal for one. He is also contemplating to construct an airstrip on Wailun and Komban tribal land. These sorts of mega developmental projects costing hundreds and millions of kina reckoned should be evenly distributed or otherwise, have them established in a central hub. However, converse is true. It is Wailun tribal centric. Prior to initiating these mega projects, feasibility studies combing with social indicators must underpin the need for public facilities (community hall, technical high school, rural police post, water supply, university centre, airstrip) and others. This is insanity when envisaging the immensity of cramming projects worth millions of Kina in his backyard serving pockets of minority at the expense of the electorate in entity. This demonstrates complete lack of vision concentrating vital services in close proximity is nothing short of ludicrously absurd and ridiculous.
The other associated issue is the question of sustainability of the projects he is initiating in his backyard. Does the provincial administration through education and health divisions budgeted to cater for emolument? The land, on which the projects built on, is it surveyed and pegged and properly registered with the lands department as state land? First and foremost, the Kompiam/Ambum electoral office is not Pundari’s birth right. In the event the member loses the seat in the election, what will become of these projects that costed substantial? In my naïve thinking, reckon they will be left to stand idle collecting cobwebs and that is the least anyone would expect.
There are four LLGs (Ambum RLLG, Kompiam RLLG, Yangis RLLG and Wali-Talu RLLG) in the electorate. These LLGs all lack infrastructure to house council chambers, offices and staff houses. Anditale high school and health sub-centre facility requires complete refurbishment for a face-lift. Kundus central school destroyed some 20 years ago requires rebuilding; Yambu facility needs an upgrade to higher level (not building new in the same neighbourhood). Kaidan high school requires additional facilities to serve its desired purpose. Kompiam district hospital urgently needs the K4, 000, 000.00 and more for major facelift. Furthermore, there is lot need to be done in the electorate and yet it doesn’t make economic sense constructing road from Merimanda to Yarulam. Another economic blunder Pundari initiated building a tract from Par trying to connect Merimanda but never pursued squandering scarce financial resource on meaningless, unplanned projects of no economic value.
The roads, school and health facilities aren’t up to speed and running. Structural buildings have dilapidated beyond repair and district is completely dysfunctional courtesy of Pundari. Kompiam council chamber was burned down by an arsonist 10 plus years ago remains a sad scene. Dusty district office complex, eroded district station road network, sporting amenities, market and the airstrip, all in shambles and the list is proliferating. The appalling state of social services is a telling hallmark of Pundari lethargy. Pundari extravagantly squandering on spending spree dishing cash handouts. A classic example of this is, on Thursday (2nd of July 2015) at his village (Merimanda), whilst inaugurating the DDA, of the many commitment announcements, he committed K100, 000.00 for a health facility in Pagalilyam and another K100, 000.00 for school again for Pagalilyam. A health facility and school is nonexistence. However, there are two individuals hail from former MP Dickson Maki’s tribe called Poreyalin who are stern supporters of Pundari. One is Newton and other is Nick. The former is a community health worker (CHW) and the latter is primary school teacher. On the occasion in the public, Pundari annouced K100, 000.00 earmarked for health facility for Pagalilyam and Newton to be in-charge and Nick to be in-charge of the other K100, 000.00 earmarked for school for Pagalilyam. MP does not need to name names of individuals should the intent of the commitment is destined for collective community benefit. Apparently, this is purported decoy on purpose and cunningly orchestrated disguising using school and health for dishing cash handouts to Newton and Nick. This is deliberate fraud.
Markedly, his tribal village is booming with building constructions. Blunder after another blunder under his regime taking money from the public coffers, purchase Toyota land crushers and keys are handed over to his political cohorts. These vehicles with private plate numbers driven by his supporters and family members transporting people from point A to B charging fees (commonly known as PMV fares). This is an outrageous act of defrauding the state at will and constitutes high level fraud. For these aren’t inadvertent but surely intentionally orchestrated and on purpose. Intriguingly, what is sickening to envisage is law enforcing agencies allowing this to go on and on under their watch.
He is taking advantage of tribal rivalry and groupings within the electorate and applying divide and rule tactic and nothing is working for the electorate. Had it not been for Baptist Union of Papua New Guinea, it was a forgone conclusion that Kompiam was gone. Every indicator was there that district was doomed to be a failed district. Unforgiving treacherous road condition made it completely impassable for traffic flow. When Kunap Bridge washed away, it further exacerbated the deplorable situation. Nevertheless, to Dr. David Mills, an unsung hero from Western Australia, because of his passion to serve the people, he persevered and endured with a life of true commitment, not pathetic and public cry for sympathy, resulting in Kompiam where it is now.
With want of short term gain, people’s welfare is at immense stake. Needlessly to say elites compromise at the peril of the people. Collective gain should be subservient to individual needs; however, individual desire for material gain takes precedent over societal benefits. Materialism predominantly is playing pivotal part triggering putting cad-before-the-horse. Societal values and norms have no part in cash driven society. The educated elites from respective tribes assume to play advocacy role but in its truest sense, pursuing or represent their own personal interest or put their own agendas ahead that of the people. Pundari know the weak link and capitalizing on it for maximum fame and popularity.
In his first term in Parliament, he incepted a building construction company called South Pacific Builders managed by his maternal uncle (Lucas) and brother in-law (Teo). All building project contracts were and are awarded to the above construction company and recently he has ventured into earthmoving enterprise. All new forming roads are undertaken by his machines managed by John Yongamen and on the time sheet, it is striking to note machines can clock in 10-12 hours (6 am to 6pm) in any given day. Apparently there is monopoly with the electorate’s money plan and flawed practices are prevalent. Uneven distribution of goods and services under a ruthless leadership is evident and telling. It makes one wonder, how comes awarding contracts to companies owned by the incumbent MP and or projects of immense milestone go up in his tribal village when failing to meet the prerequisites for mega developmental projects? How on earth acquittal reports go pass Ombudsman Commission and Rural Development Office with rigid check and balances in place? Kompiam/Ambum electoral money plan is designed to please the incumbent member. It is a boomerang money plan ending up in John Pundari’s basket. He masterminds and uses the JDB&PC as decoy, like the common saying; right hand giving to the left hand. How can such practice be allowed to become a norm and state agencies become complacent, absentminded or condoning a totalitarian regime to thrive? Bogus claims are filtered through and see the light of day. An independent credible audit spanning his tenure is lacking to shed light on the disbursement of DSIP funds in the electorate.
In all of Enga (may be PNG), the only electorate that is mostly corrupted is Kompiam/Ambum. Particularly the very recent elections was grossly flawed meaning to say, hijacked, rigged and tampered intentionally by crafty crooks who wanted him to win by hook or crook. He paid his way in bumping the eligible voters in his village to 3,000. Should the head count was ordered, there would be no more than below 700 eligible voters would have been counted. However, his malicious evil acts were counter balanced and figure was reduced dramatically to 800. He knew was on the way out and devised a must do strategy. Using public funds, he purchased Toyota land crusher (white 10 seater) for the Returning Officer (RO) and for the Assistant Returning Officers (AROs); for Kompiam LLG white 10 seater, Ambum LLG brown 10 seater, and Yangis LLG brown utility pick-up. On top of vehicles, he paid RO and AROs x 3 handsomely in two lots of payment. The detail transactions (amount, date, cheque # & account name) cannot be established in this instance for hard copies are court exhibits before the court of disputed return filed by the runner up (Lucas Neah) challenging the incumbent (John T. Pundari) which is pending to date.
ARO for Ambum LLG namely Derrick Nepao (neither has biological lineage nor marital connection yet Derrick Nepao regards himself as John’s father. The only person that close to becoming a step-father to John was Tony Piaki, however, D. Nepao likes being John’s father adding to John’s resume the list of fathers. Leave the hypostasis proven courtesy of Nepao but one thing sure is, Nepao indisputably is a strategist), the political strategist for Pundari. He masterminded and played a leading key role in deciding who becomes the presiding officer (PO) and assistant presiding officer (APO). In actuality, he virtually took over the role of the RO and was purely responsible for polling team list and posting of POs and APOs. Training for the polling officials were done in complete secrecy. On the eleventh hour, the night before despatching the teams to their respective polling venues, Nepao orchestrated last minute reshuffle of POs and APOs. Briefing was done at Lupa guest house at White corner in Wabag town. Amongst those selected as POs and APOs, non-public servants and stern supporters of Pundari who never had finished primary level education were appointed. After the polling, they got assisted in writing up returns (report). At the counting venue, the strategist Nepao selected his biological daughter (Medlyn Nepao), Joe Minaro (his brother in-law), incumbent member’s sister in-law (Emelly Kongapun) amongst the stern supporters of John Pundari as counting officials. Strategist Nepao had a tight control. After the primary count, purity checks were never done and everything was bulldozed through. Nepao went to an extent of withholding polling allowances for POs (known to Nepao) who weren’t a supporter of Pundari. One sided affair and Electoral Commission officers gazetted to maintain neutral and impartiality, under the leadership of strategist Derrick Nepao, EC made it all the harder and never created a levelled playing field for all contestants to have a fair go. From the outset in day one, EC pre-selected the winning candidate through corrupt RO (Romalo) and AROs. It was an uphill battle and candidates tried in vain when the system was working in favour of the incumbent. This was foreseeable and alerted the authority but turned a blind eye. Derrick Nepao was the brother in-law of Enga Provincial Administrator who is the chairman of Provincial Election Steering Committee and Andrew Trawen heavily reliant on the provincial election steering committee made the task completely insurmountable for the candidates and supporters. Apparently, Andrew Trawen would not have clean hands when it comes to wheels and deals with John Pundari. Undoubtedly money has exchanged hands for return of favour. Apart from dishing out bribery, who knows what else he did and with all the combine effort, he rose to the occasion. What a cheat! What a deceit!
Furthermore, a post-polling episode that would have been bloody massacre in the hands of John Pundari’s tribal (Wailun) men who set up an ambush just few yards away from his village and viciously attacked and butchered former MP for Kompiam/Ambum (Dickson Maki) whose face was disfigured due to severe facial lacerations from axe wounds. The other victim namely Hemam Puiyo (both are from the same Poreyalin tribe in Kompiam) was the worst hit but miraculously recovered from near death. His body was severely mutilated but despite the brutality inflicted on Heman and Dickson, both are grateful recounting the awful event that almost costed their life on that fateful day when traveling from Kompiam to Wabag just after the polling. Other occupants sustained bodily injury too but minor compared to above duet. In that unforgettable incident, the driver (Kalonge Tonde from neighbouring Komban tribe) of the troop carrier escaped unhurt, has vivid recollection of the perpetrators.
In the second episode, not long ago (2013), Caspar Yones (who hails from Yaowan tribe in Kompiam) married a lass from Pawas in Wabag. In a convoy of vehicles, Kaeyalu tribesmen went collecting bride price. On their return trip from Kompiam loaded with four legged animals (pigs) heading Wabag, unbeknown, arrived at Aiemares (village hamlet to Pundari’s main village) to a road blockade. As the trucks loaded with goods approached, on purpose a tree was fell across the road impeding passage. The primary intention was to execute Caspar Yones for Caspar is John’s bitter political arch rival. Caspar’s life would have been brutally terminated there and then had they known that he was riding in the leading vehicle. Intriguingly, the idiot warlord’s didn’t know Caspar changed vehicle whilst approaching Pundari’s village for he sensed something sinister awaiting. When they encountered with fight or flight situation, in a split second, smart thinking of the driver somehow manoeuvred to drive over the fell log and escaped unhurt but innocent people in the other vehicles behind were inflicted with pain and misery. Amongst those attacked was the bridal father (Ben) had his fingers chopped when he raised his hand in defence.
Goods (pigs) were thoroughly ransacked and locked them up at Yumbilyam technical vocational centre and later in time, distributed the pigs amongst the Wailun tribal bandits. This is John T. Pundari’s tribe terrorising the commuting public and it is a scene of fearmongering. The known perpetrators are free at large and the incumbent MP isn’t proactive or reacting, instead, remains mute to date. Potentially this is a typical of incumbent MP expressly being complacent with the two episodes of attempted vicious murder plots. Such inaction behaviour on the part of the MP constitutes sanctioning and condoning the actions of his tribal men of an act of criminality. Typically, a leader of Pundari’s calibre would instantaneously step in to thwart from further escalation and endeavour to restore normalcy but wasn’t the case and status quo remains. This is unbecoming act of a leader unheard off. There should be no room for complacency and such barbaric action should be condemned with strongest possible terms and perpetrators/culprits should be thrown behind bars. Pundari has done virtually nothing to curb the premeditated lawlessness prevailing within his tribe. Potentially it underscores he isn’t a revered leader and by far, he is below mediocrity. He has no leadership credentials to simply put. Thus he is calculating his next move by arming his tribe to instil fear on others and aspire to win coming elections at the barrel of the gun or by hook and crook.
Markedly it is an open book and a public knowledge. How hard you try to do good to create an impression in public and gather the applause never will outweigh for the ugly head of your evil deeds will still pop up and you will be known by your deeds. Donning the mask of Christianity and doing charity (church) with stolen corrupt money contemplating grace and mercy be extended on the basis of good will is a calculated move endeavouring to earn salvation by works. Furthermore, indulge in wickedness of proud look, lying tongue, heart that devices evil plans, feet that is swift to run to evil, false witness who speaks lies, and shows discord amongst the brethren amounts to derogatory.
We are told not to serve two masters at any one time. You either serve God or mammon but can’t be both. One day, one fine day, mark these words, all that you do to cheat the people will come biting you and bite you hard and that epic moment is nearing.
