PNGBLOGS

Radio New Zealand International A former top Papua New Guinea politician says he had to go against the traditional Highlands mould of character and behave in a passive manner in order to prevent bloodshed when his government collapsed. Sam Abal was Acting Prime Minister in 2011 when the majority of MPs controversially ousted the Somare government and triggered a political and constitutional crisis that only ended with the outcome of last year’s general election. Mr Abal, who lost his Wabag seat in the election, was detached from much of the bitter fighting between the two groups claiming to be government during the impasse, choosing to remain neutral in parliament. He spoke to Johnny Blades about the impasse but began by saying his legal petition claiming the Wabag election result stemmed from bribery and undue influence is still in the courts. SAM ABAL: It is a case where it happened that way and everybody in my electorate knows what happened during the elections, but unfortunately we

Radio New Zealand International A former top Papua New Guinea politician says he had to go against the traditional Highlands mould of character and behave in a passive manner in order to prevent bloodshed when his government collapsed. Sam Abal was Acting Prime Minister in 2011 when the majority of MPs controversially ousted the Somare government and triggered a political and constitutional crisis that only ended with the outcome of last year’s general election. Mr Abal, who lost his Wabag seat in the election, was detached from much of the bitter fighting between the two groups claiming to be government during the impasse, choosing to remain neutral in parliament. He spoke to Johnny Blades about the impasse but began by saying his legal petition claiming the Wabag election result stemmed from bribery and undue influence is still in the courts. SAM ABAL: It is a case where it happened that way and everybody in my electorate knows what happened during the elections, but unfort

By PNGExposed Blog The Baloiloi regime was in power at Unitech for many years.  The regime was commonly considered corrupt and dictatorial.   At a time when the university was slowly falling apart there were many rumours of misuse of funds and coverup.   Those who lived at the university a long time told stories that Unitech student government was corrupt too. It was so refreshing for those who came to unigate as fresh new minds in 2012 to see change.  The regime changed from Baloiloi to Schram. Albert Schram was a European who did things opposite from Baloiloi. Schram was open and grassroots.  Also seemed fair and honest. When the new vc got on the wrong side of the previous regime, students rescued him.  We were led by very committed SRC president Joe Kaowai. Joe did not pause when students had to stand up and defend the new vc against the old regime led by chancellor Phillip Stagg.  Students burnt Stagg’s vehicle after he tried to sack Schram.   Our actions won some time for the new

By PNGExposed Blog The Baloiloi regime was in power at Unitech for many years.  The regime was commonly considered corrupt and dictatorial.   At a time when the university was slowly falling apart there were many rumours of misuse of funds and coverup.   Those who lived at the university a long time told stories that Unitech student government was corrupt too. It was so refreshing for those who came to unigate as fresh new minds in 2012 to see change.  The regime changed from Baloiloi to Schram. Albert Schram was a European who did things opposite from Baloiloi. Schram was open and grassroots.  Also seemed fair and honest. When the new vc got on the wrong side of the previous regime, students rescued him.  We were led by very committed SRC president Joe Kaowai. Joe did not pause when students had to stand up and defend the new vc against the old regime led by chancellor Phillip Stagg.  Students burnt Stagg’s vehicle after he tried to sack Schram.   Our actions won some time

By GABRIEL RAMOI There is growing  misconception in recent public policy debate that PNG  should yet again look at Wholesale Political reform as the antidote to  growing felling of  disillusionment and general malaise among our Young that our system of Government is not doing enough for them. This view seem to find support with the Deputy Prime Minister and also echoed by the Prime Minister. Regrettably the premise upon which this view is based is misconstrued and erroneous. PNG does not need wholesale Political reform it needs fine tuning of the existing system. The   system of Government we have adopted at Independence as reflected in our country’s Constitution including the National Goals and Directive Principles and the Bill of Rights remains one  of the best in the world. What PNG needs are leaders of integrity like those that sat and adopted the  Constitution in 1975 to ensure that the dreams of our Constitutional  Fathers  as enshrined in the Constitution is up held and realised

By GABRIEL RAMOI There is growing  misconception in recent public policy debate that PNG  should yet again look at Wholesale Political reform as the antidote to  growing felling of  disillusionment and general malaise among our Young that our system of Government is not doing enough for them. This view seem to find support with the Deputy Prime Minister and also echoed by the Prime Minister. Regrettably the premise upon which this view is based is misconstrued and erroneous. PNG does not need wholesale Political reform it needs fine tuning of the existing system. The   system of Government we have adopted at Independence as reflected in our country’s Constitution including the National Goals and Directive Principles and the Bill of Rights remains one  of the best in the world. What PNG needs are leaders of integrity like those that sat and adopted the  Constitution in 1975 to ensure that the dreams of our Constitutional  Fathers  as enshrined in the Constitution is up held and r

By MICAH LAN In today’s Post Courier it was reported that charges of misappropriation have been dropped against Western Province administrator Modowa Gumoi for allegedly applying K500, 000 for his own use, among other things. What is going on here?  Are the police incompetent?   Or is the old “pay them off to lose the evidence” scam at work again? There are many things we must get out of our heads about our country Papua New Guinea.  First this idea that we are a Christian country, We are not a Christian country, we only say we are.  If anything we were more of a Christian country before the first Christian missionaries came because at least there was a strong environment of sharing within the clan, and firm rules of justice and compensation that applied more broadly. The words spiv, humbug, corrupt was much less applicable back then than now.  At least we weren’t hypocrites back then. Today we are.  We pretend to be something we’re not. Another thing to get out of our head is that we

By MICAH LAN In today’s Post Courier it was reported that charges of misappropriation have been dropped against Western Province administrator Modowa Gumoi for allegedly applying K500, 000 for his own use, among other things. What is going on here?  Are the police incompetent?   Or is the old “pay them off to lose the evidence” scam at work again? There are many things we must get out of our heads about our country Papua New Guinea.  First this idea that we are a Christian country, We are not a Christian country, we only say we are.  If anything we were more of a Christian country before the first Christian missionaries came because at least there was a strong environment of sharing within the clan, and firm rules of justice and compensation that applied more broadly. The words spiv, humbug, corrupt was much less applicable back then than now.  At least we weren’t hypocrites back then. Today we are.  We pretend to be something we’re not. Another thing to get out of our head is tha

By SONJA BARRY-RAMOI Joe was accused and charged with raping a young girl. Joe (not his real name) was old enough to be the girl’s father. Joe had promised the Father of the ‘young girl’ K1, 500 as bride price and had talked big about starting a cattle project in a joint venture with the young girl’s father. Instead of making payment upfront or producing any cattle, Joe very foolishly took the young girl to his village - where she moved about freely as his ‘wife’ for two weeks before the police acting on the unpaid ‘father in-law’s’ complaint turned up to arrest him for rape. Joe was still imprisoned, as a remandee (‘weit kot’ – awaiting court) at Boram CIS in Wewak, around three years later on the main charge of rape. Fortunately for Joe, his long wait for justice was about to come to an end after a good State prosecutor took on his case. The Police prosecutor dropped the charge of rape and also the charge of ‘carnal knowledge with a minor’ because of the lack of evidence and proceede

Unitech Insider Does anyone know the latest on the strange story of Unitech VC Shram? As a former Unitech, this case is of special interest to me.  What I have found out from some people at office of higher education is as follows:  the report by Judge Sevua commissioned by the PM was completed long ago and it finds VC Shram innocent of all charges brought on by certain members of the old Council (mostly Ralph Saulep and Philip Stagg) who presided over unitech’s many years of decline and seemed tobe trying to cover up their sins by trying to get rid of Shram. The investigative report apparently lays out the fault with the current mess at Unitech as being blamed on Saulep and Stagg. It seems this is the reason the report is being covered up. Once again the bad guys seem to win in PNG? I have been less able to find out what is the status of VC Shram except that he;s sitting someplace in Australia with the clock  ticking, still being the appointed VC in all respects and getting paid

Unitech Insider Does anyone know the latest on the strange story of Unitech VC Shram? As a former Unitech, this case is of special interest to me.  What I have found out from some people at office of higher education is as follows:  the report by Judge Sevua commissioned by the PM was completed long ago and it finds VC Shram innocent of all charges brought on by certain members of the old Council (mostly Ralph Saulep and Philip Stagg) who presided over unitech’s many years of decline and seemed tobe trying to cover up their sins by trying to get rid of Shram. The investigative report apparently lays out the fault with the current mess at Unitech as being blamed on Saulep and Stagg. It seems this is the reason the report is being covered up. Once again the bad guys seem to win in PNG? I have been less able to find out what is the status of VC Shram except that he;s sitting someplace in Australia with the clock  ticking, still being the appointed VC in all respects