THE LAMENTABLE STATE OF THE NATION

by JAMES MAKOP

Air Niugini has always been a part of my life. From the first flight I experienced, going to high school in Madang in 1976 on a Fokker Friendship F-27, it has always stirred wonderment in me. The shrill and melancholy whistle of the Rolls Royce Dart engines is something deeply embedded in my head it is something I cannot shake off to this day.

I used to walk all the way from Catholic high school, now DWU, to the airport every weekend just to watch the Fokker F-27 land and take off. The pilots in their uniforms left an indelible impression on me, and the handful of nationals at that time were larger than life.
 
The likes of Captain Minson Peni, Late Nat Koleala, Aria Bouraga and Paun Nonggorr.
To finally have made it to the fold was a humbling experience. I cherished the privilege, was fortunate to work in an airline which demanded the best from its crew and never compromised on safety.
 
There was little or no political interference then and every gain in promotion was by sheer sweat based on merit. It was with pride that I wore the uniform, making sure it was ironed with all the creases in the right places and shoes polished to glossy shine. I wore the cap with pride. 

Being a pilot is an honorable profession. We are conditioned to exact standards. Schedule keeping, uncompromising on safety standards, always being mindful that a plane full of people entrusted their lives in our hands. Never leaving out small details because even minute inattention to details can lead to grave errors.
 
My colleagues and I who now ply our profession all over the world owe a huge debt of gratitude to Air Niugini.
 
It saddens me and more so angers me to the core of my soul, that politicians have become the proverbial viruses which corrupt, laying to waste, and decimating State Entities which together are the collective assets of the Nation. Air Niugini amongst others being the case in point.
When have politicians and their cronies become masters in all fields, giving them unrestrained power to do as they please?
 
They treat professionals as if their experience was nothing, veteran public servants with disdain as if being politicians suddenly made them experts in all fields that took their fancy.
Professionals in all fields need to take a stand and say enough is enough. And that goes for all public servants as well.
 
We are given by birthright inalienable rights such as dignity, self respect, and right to prosperity in a society free from fear of oppression.
As it stands, those rights are being eroded fast by those entrusted with custodial power. They have proven to be untrustworthy, treasonous, and traitorous.
 
It is well and truly overdue that we stand united against those handful of misfits before we are sold out completely.