PNGBLOGS

By CONCERNED ACADEMIC It was a simple promise, whose fulfilment might have finally brought UNITECH Saga to a close.    In December, HERST Minister David Arore promised the nation on EMTV that as soon as the festive holiday season was over, he would release the contents of the infamous Sevua report. At last it seemed that the 2 year old UNITECH saga might end, by fulfilling a simple promise!   All the Minister had to do was email the HERST website administrator, tell that fellow to upload the Sevua onto the HERST web page, then attach an electronic copy of the report before before sending off the email.   Simple!  Mission accomplished! Following that, Minister Arore could proudly boast that he done his part to end UNITECH Saga.  Most importantly, UNITECH's students and honest staff and teachers would finally feel that Minister Arore had taken the side of justice, as Albert Schram was reinstated as the resident Vice Chancellor of UNITECH.  Releasing the Sevua report would a

By KELVIN R. NATATA When the Pope or Queen of England visited PNG last, full State protocol was observed and red carpet laid out for them, with all the ladies and gentry of the former Territories turned up in their finest regalia, and happy flag waving school children lined the streets, shouting and singing various welcome songs composed in their honour. The faithful flew in from every part of the country to pay homage, went away fulfilled and satisfied. One such visit in the early 1970s was by then Australian Prime Minister, Hon John Gorton MP and his wife Lady Gorton. There was a guard of honour led by a very sharp young military officer trained in Australia named, Edward Diro, who was eager to impress. The renowned and ward winning Police Band from the Bomana Police College took their place and played few Frank Sinatra numbers for the tense crowd gathered at the old terminal. The usual who is who among the 100,000 strong expatriate community sat on white chairs. A

By KELVIN R. NATATA When the Pope or Queen of England visited PNG last, full State protocol was observed and red carpet laid out for them, with all the ladies and gentry of the former Territories turned up in their finest regalia, and happy flag waving school children lined the streets, shouting and singing various welcome songs composed in their honour. The faithful flew in from every part of the country to pay homage, went away fulfilled and satisfied. One such visit in the early 1970s was by then Australian Prime Minister, Hon John Gorton MP and his wife Lady Gorton. There was a guard of honour led by a very sharp young military officer trained in Australia named, Edward Diro, who was eager to impress. The renowned and ward winning Police Band from the Bomana Police College took their place and played few Frank Sinatra numbers for the tense crowd gathered at the old terminal. The usual who is who among the 100,000 strong expatriate community sat on white chairs.

By ARNOLD JAMESON So much was said in the media about the Prime Minister, Peter O’Neil’s ‘Good Will’ visit to the No-Go-Zone area at Panguna, with a bunch of media personals as his eyewitnesses to report back to the world, so that’s pretty much what the world heard and read. What the media doesn’t know, and so won’t tell you is that Mr O’Neil was not welcomed but rather fare-welled upon arrival at Central Bougainville’s Panguna mine site area. This, as everyone else and the ‘big men and women chiefs’ on the ground said is because Mr O’Neil probably couldn’t understand or read the sign that said ‘No-Go Zone’ which after three meetings the night before, nagged his way into Panguna. He was given permission to pass through the checkpoint at 1am on that day. Now pay attention. A normal Central Bougainville welcome is as follows; For any ordinary new comer, the people will dance and splash water onto that person(s), then rub their faces with the famous local Kieta delicacy ‘tamatama’. In the

By ARNOLD JAMESON So much was said in the media about the Prime Minister, Peter O’Neil’s ‘Good Will’ visit to the No-Go-Zone area at Panguna, with a bunch of media personals as his eyewitnesses to report back to the world, so that’s pretty much what the world heard and read. What the media doesn’t know, and so won’t tell you is that Mr O’Neil was not welcomed but rather fare-welled upon arrival at Central Bougainville’s Panguna mine site area. This, as everyone else and the ‘big men and women chiefs’ on the ground said is because Mr O’Neil probably couldn’t understand or read the sign that said ‘No-Go Zone’ which after three meetings the night before, nagged his way into Panguna. He was given permission to pass through the checkpoint at 1am on that day. Now pay attention. A normal Central Bougainville welcome is as follows; For any ordinary new comer, the people will dance and splash water onto that person(s), then rub their faces with the famous local Kieta delicacy ‘tama

By John Endemongo Kua All good things come to an end, and as such, the life of an outstand ing scholar and gentleman, had come to pass yesterday morning, here in Port Moresby.   The late Donigi and myself, did not see eye to eye on many national issues of importance to the nation not because of the principles behind the issues, and nor did we allow each other the opportunity to discuss or debate issues of importance to the state or international concerns, simply because he was a Sepik and I a Chimbu, and we were rallying, behind the powerful men of post independence politics, with him standing stoically behind Somare as a kinsman and myself behind Okuk.   For the better or worse, most political cadres were consumed in this shallow and empty game of cloak and dagger political manoeuvres, that destabilised the national progress in many respects to the detriment of this nation state. Despite the hostile environment of ethnic and regional divide, reason prevailed in men of valour, such as

By John Endemongo Kua All good things come to an end, and as such, the life of an outstand ing scholar and gentleman, had come to pass yesterday morning, here in Port Moresby.   The late Donigi and myself, did not see eye to eye on many national issues of importance to the nation not because of the principles behind the issues, and nor did we allow each other the opportunity to discuss or debate issues of importance to the state or international concerns, simply because he was a Sepik and I a Chimbu, and we were rallying, behind the powerful men of post independence politics, with him standing stoically behind Somare as a kinsman and myself behind Okuk.   For the better or worse, most political cadres were consumed in this shallow and empty game of cloak and dagger political manoeuvres, that destabilised the national progress in many respects to the detriment of this nation state. Despite the hostile environment of ethnic and regional divide, reason prevailed in m

PNGExposed Can any journalist out there and relevant authorities please investigate Professor Peter Siba – Director of Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR)? He is practicing widespread nepotism as well as threatening, intimidating, terminating and demoting staff who want to speak up against him. He has now appointed his wife (a data entry clerk with no qualifications) as the site administrator for the LNG research control site at Karkar island (her own place). One of his sons who is in their village at Karkar is also on the PNGIMR payroll but nobody knows what he does. Recently, his son was drunk and broke the wind screen and other parts of a PNGIMR vehicle but his father sent him home on a few weeks suspension on full pay while he terminated 3 very experienced staff with over 20 years of experience for a minor alcohol related matter. This particular son of Peter Siba returned to work after his suspension with a knife and nearly killed a PNGIMR staff in

PNGExposed Can any journalist out there and relevant authorities please investigate Professor Peter Siba – Director of Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR)? He is practicing widespread nepotism as well as threatening, intimidating, terminating and demoting staff who want to speak up against him. He has now appointed his wife (a data entry clerk with no qualifications) as the site administrator for the LNG research control site at Karkar island (her own place). One of his sons who is in their village at Karkar is also on the PNGIMR payroll but nobody knows what he does. Recently, his son was drunk and broke the wind screen and other parts of a PNGIMR vehicle but his father sent him home on a few weeks suspension on full pay while he terminated 3 very experienced staff with over 20 years of experience for a minor alcohol related matter. This particular son of Peter Siba returned to work after his suspension with a knife and nearly killed a PNGIMR

By MARK DAVIS On Tuesday 5 November I got a call at about 9.30am from someone called Mark at the Department of Commerce and Industry. He said he was representing his director, who wished to talk to me about MediaMark Limited, a PNG family company in which I am one of the shareholders. I asked him what he wanted to talk about, and he said there were some questions that needed clearing up.  I told Mark that I would be happy to make an appointment, and he said he would call back. On Thursday 7 November at about 10.30am, Mark from the Department of Commerce and Industry called again. He said an appointment to meet his director had been set for 11.00am at the Department of Commerce and Industry at Moale House in Waigani. I arrived at 11.00 am and parked my PNGSDP vehicle in the street outside, and walked up to the front door. As I approached the front door a man walked up to me. I introduced myself and asked if he was Mark. He said he was.  At that moment I was surrounded by three uniformed