An opposing view on the student unrest
Students and NGO’s have better things to worry about than going on strike & boycotting classes!
History has it that those so called university students and NGO’s prey on the ignorance of ordinary masses to buy sympathy for their own selfish ends. They are like dogs barking at people who are eating meat on the other side of the fence. When they manoeuvre their way through that side their convictions, belief and ethical standards they claim to fight for are irrelevant. They flow on with the tide and the status quo of corruption in the corridors of power in Waigani. The ugly head of corruption keeps on raring its head and going from bad to worse.
We have past students leaders in late Peter Waieng, John Tekwie, NGO MELSOL advocate Peti Lafanama and few others in current 5th parliament were very vocal on issues of national importance. They were voted into parliament because of their hardnosed stand against matters of national interest. When they enter the doors of parliament, they lost their integrity right on the spot. Everything they stood for and fight against is not their issue anymore because what they really want and barking for like a dog on the other side of the fence is achieved.
Student should know that they are there for a purpose. They are the investments of parents. You ought to commit yourself to studies and gain qualification in your chosen field, get employment / start a business and repay the sacrifices made by your parents.
I haven’t seen a leader who is so vocal and nationalistic and have his dear country in heart and could do anything for the benefit of this country. Unless you are capable of emulating my Simbu Political King – Late Sir Iambakey Okuk, you aren’t right fit to match what our current Prime Minister – Peter O’Neill is doing for the country.
Legend has it that as told by a Pentecostal Pastor of mine from Ku village near Kundiawa. In 1973 when the late Iambakey Okuk was agriculture minister, he went to Fiji and saw the sugar plantation there. He saw the land, climate and topography was similar to that of Ramu Valley. In his heart he believes that PNG can grow sugar, supply the local market and export it instead of importing CSR sugar from Australia.
He advised an Australian scientist to do feasibility study in Ramu Valley if sugar can be grown there. All along Iambakey was totally convinced that Ramu has the precondition for sugar to be grown there. The scientist did his findings and on his executive summary he stated that for so and so reasons sugar cannot be grown at Ramu.
At that juncture in the presence of my Pastor, Iambakey tore the report, punch the scientist on the nose and gave him 24 hours deportation order to pack up and leave. The next day he went to Fiji, brought Booker & Tate (the management company of Fiji Sugar) to Ramu. The PNG Government funded the project and Booker Tate provided the management until recently taken over by NBPOL.
I bet you if Iambakey is still alive today and continue in politics this country will have already grown its own rice, all timbers will be processed into final products onshore etc. We would have been net exporter by now thereby saving huge sums of foreign exchange.
I want to pose you a question. Is there any current political leader or if you are an aspiring politician be able to do what late Sir Iambakey Okuk did to that expat? If he doesn’t have the National interests in his heart, he would blindly believe the scientist and we’ll be still importing sugar from Australia today.
What this country desperately needs now is more of Sir Iambakey Okuk’s patriotic heart. Whether he is in government or opposition he is still an opposition. No one and nothing will ever changes his convictions and belief for what he thinks his good for common good. I doubt PNG will ever produce such unique leaders. Nowadays people in position of power and authority make decisions for the sake of what is in there for me. They have an attitude of how much share of the cake will I get out of my decision? It all boils down to greed, lust and prestige.
O’Neill is the best performing Prime Minister PNG ever had. He is brilliant and knows his job very well. To prove this point you can go to any parliament session and find out for yourself. He is in total control. As a good manager, he knows exactly what his ministers are doing. Any member of parliament can ask him any question with or without notice on any matter and he has the right answer right there unlike previous Prime Ministers taking notes, getting advice from their advisors and answer the matter in question on a later date.
O’Neill has the heart for this country. Buying 10.1% share in Oil Search is the best thing he did for the country. Arthur Somare gave up a higher share-holding to Abu Dhabi in a A$1.68 billion convertible bond deal to finance the PNG LNG project. Oil Search is a PNG registered company and has its beginnings here. It would be foolish if PNG through its Government do not own this great company after offloading its original shares to Abu Dhabi and be a mere tax collector only.
O’Neill has put back money into parents’ pockets through its free education and subside health policies. If not most of you student would be out on the streets today as I doubt many your parents can afford school fees. You should be thankful to his government.
If O’Neill is guilty of anything in the Paraka Gate affair, surely the justice system of this country will no doubt held him liable. Let the judiciary play its role.
The Police Commissioner is not against the investigation but he is merely asserting command and control over his men. The fraud squad members are guilty of insubordination as they fail to report what they are doing to their superiors. Insubordination in any organization is an outright termination offence.
O’Neill is doing great things for the country. Many more good things are bound to happen under his stewardship for the greater good of this nation. I am pleased to say personally that my father was responsible for protecting the Prime Minister when he was conceived in his mothers’ womb and the first two years of his life. He spoke blessing over the then two year old. Yalibu/Pangia and now PNG is benefitting and will continue to do so.
My advice to students and NGO’s that you cannot make this society better by going on strike and boycotting classes. Your so called past predecessors (Leaders) have proven to be out right failures. You are fighting for your bellies. What difference will you make? Unless you are Sir Iambakey Okuk, otherwise shame on you and go back to class and complete your studies.
