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Someone investigate OHE Director General, David ‘Korap’ Kavanamur’s so called Executive ‘Exotic’ Branch!

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By RAGA LOHIA Office of Higher Education (OHE) is becoming a “rosy garden’. Although having a few positive triumphs like completing the quality assessments of the six universities, awarding accreditation to five new institutions of higher education and having a new legislation that endorses the Office to become a Department, more thorns are growing behind closed doors at Mutual Rumana Building. Following from an earlier blog in March 2014 titled, “The Curious ways of OHE Director General David Kavanamur” this adds more smell to David’s “rosy garden.” Most of the operational decisions and changes in policy directives of the OHE are evolving from the so-called Executive “Exotic” Branch instead of Senior ranking directors and branch heads. The name sounds right but who is in this ‘Executive Exotic Branch’? The Exotic branch is not made of all senior officers like Directors and Assistant Directors but consists of; three secretaries- which is a waste of both human resources and financia

The challenges of fighting corruption in Papua New Guinea

By SAM KOIM I would like to share with you some of my experiences in fighting corruption in Papua New Guinea. My story is not unique. Stories like mine are unfortunately replicated across far too many countries around the world. I have dedicated the last few years to combatting corruption in PNG. My journey, though dangerous at times, and uncomfortable and unpleasant for my family, has been personally rewarding in ways that I could never have imagined. The challenges of fighting corruption in PNG The challenges of combating corruption in a resource rich, communal, yet diverse cultural setting such as PNG, are multifaceted. Here I outline some key factors that make the fight against corruption in PNG challenging. The first challenge is cultural . In PNG the big man syndrome – the perception that leaders in responsible government positions are beyond reproach because of their elevated status in society – shapes relationships. There is also a lack of national consciou

WAS SPEAKER THEO ZURENUOC UNDULY INFLUENCED IN 'HASTILY' RECOGNIZING DON POLYE AS THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION?

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During a press conference held on Thursday December 4th, 2014, incumbent Opposition Leader Hon. Belden Norman Namah said: (Transcribed) “You know fighting over positions is…it’s not a very good thing to do. We have to respect due processes and procedures that is before us in this stage, in this instance the parliamentary conventions, the rules of law and in all due respect common sense to prevail. There has been much said about the Opposition Leadership. I want to make this statement to the people of our country to the silent majority, who are out there, who have stood behind the position that Opposition has taken under my leadership from the first day of the formation of the ninth parliament up til now our stance against corruption, our stance against major breaches in the Constitution; that I want to make it very clear that the meeting held in this room immediately after the parliament had risen on the eve of Thursday last week was not called by me who is the incumbent Opposition L