The tale of two knights


by TAENG KA

The is the tale of PNG’s two newest Knights, or Sir’s as the Brits would have you say. It makes for a frighteningly intriguing tale of two MPs that hail from the same Province, Enga. One is the current governor for Enga, Sir Peter Ipatas, and the other is the current MP for Kompiam Ambum, in Enga Province. Both are long serving Members of Parliament. Both were knighted, same time, in 2022. Fascinating! This is probably where their similarity ends. So how did both become Knights? One is a true son of Enga, widely recognised in the country as the best Governor the country has ever seen. A truly remarkable and visionary leader who had the foresight to develop Enga’s intellectual capacity. He figured education held the key to the success of its people. His ideas are now being copied by other provinces, albeit a little too late. This is truly a tale of two contrasting people; one a leader that arguable deserves the knighthood more than any other person in PNG’s history, if service delivery and educating talent were the two yardsticks. He stands tall, far above any other.

The second Knight, in our story, is John Pundari/JP. If there is a person that does not deserve this title, then John Pundari has got to be that man. The nation’s only non- performing MP, absolutely nothing to show for in the 25 years he has been the district’s MP. So what has happened to all the money that is meant for the district in the 25 years? All goes back to him, widely acknowledged fact in the district.

So why hasn’t he been investigated and held accountable? Good question, maybe there is a reason, he never wants to lose the seat of KA. Can’t anyone have the balls to investigate the KA district books? Well, there is a reason why he wants to be always in government as a senior Minister. Now that he is a Sir, who can go after him? With the title of Sir, he is now above law. JP has figured it all out. The snake never sleeps. On this point of having held senior ministerial positions in the country. Does his name stand out for transforming and improving any of the state department under his ministerial charge? Nothing comes to mind. Has he been cited for pioneering any landmark legislation in Parliament? Not even close! So what was Sir JP knighted for? Idk, you have to ask the Queen of England.

We are now in 2022, the people of Kompiam Ambum have cast their votes or at least have tried to. JP has resorted to the same hijacking and rigging tactics since the first election he contested in 1992. This time more vehemently. Yes, and he wants the genuine Knight gone too. More freebies, vehicles, money, Kai2 for his goons, you name it. Maybe it’s because the stakes could not be higher. Toss Pogera gold in there too. Election rigging and hijacking are his expertise. One of this self-appointed ARO is alleged to have been shot dead for hijacking ballot boxes a few days ago. His other appointed ARO and RO have alleged to hijack about 6 ballot boxes.  The people of Kompiam Ambum are utterly fed up with this half-cast, destroying and depriving the people of any kind of free and fair election for the last 25 years. Wtf! The Electoral Commission of this country has utterly failed the people of Kompiam Ambum in the last 25 years. People are taking the law into their own hands; can we blame them? On JP’s defence, one could argue that the AROs/RO need not accept his bribe offers. True, but these are desperate people, and desperation leads people to do stupid things, and JP understands this. Every 5 years he turns up for election and offers huge sums of bribe money to get election officials to rig the election for him. Year after year they do this, yes and lives are lost, but this is the price these ARO/RO are willing to pay.

In 2022, JP engineered the same strategy. One ARO is allegedly dead, and others have gone into hiding before counting even starts. The Knight has gone into hiding himself (alleging pulling strings from some undisclosed location in Wapenamanda). Why am I writing this? Have I something against the JP? Not at all, I am doing well without Politics. But I am writing this because of two reasons, (besides the utter injustice inflicted on the people of a KA for the past 25 years):

1. Love of my people and the great province that is Enga. We speak one language; we are a truly unique people in this country of 8 million. United we can be the shining light for the rest of this country.

2. I see great hope in the province, when I see someone like the first term MP for Wabag Open, Dr. Lino. Dr. Lino is the essence of what Enga is about, and what a true leader ought to be. I want to see more Dr. Lino type MPs for Enga (and PNG), so that the rest of the country can be shown what is possible when a province is united under servant leadership.

I write because on the cusp of stepping into the promised land we have an Amalekite (present day Germany according to the book of Ruth) in the way of Joshua leading his people to freedom. I find the analogy absolutely riveting. One could say, Sir Ipatas the elderly stateman wants to pass the baton to Dr. Lino, depicting Moses about to pass the leadership to Joshua to take the children of Israel to the promised land, but have to contend with and overcome the Amalekites, in JP and co (who is a literal descendent of a modern- day Amalekite/German). This time the true Knight, with his student (Dr Lino), hold the key. Will they be victories, after wondering the wilderness of Arabia for 40 years and finally make it to the promised land? Or are we the people of Enga/and PNG allowed to endure another 5 years of weed clinking onto and chocking the tare. Will we see the fake knight take charge of the mighty province of Enga and plunge it into darkness like he did Kompiam Ambum or shall the true son of Enga, the true Knight Sir Ipatas come to the rescue of Enga? Soon we will have our answer.

Let the counting begin!

Comments

Post a Comment

Please free to leave comments.

Popular posts from this blog

HIGHLANDS FRAUD F*CKS RUNNING GOVERNMENT AGENCY,,,

Image
A Fraudster and unqualified person has been shortlisted for NEC submission for the position of CEPA Managing Director. The candidate in question is Jude Tukulyia. His academic credentials are subject to scrutiny. Further investigation is required to verify the authenticity and legitimacy of his qualifications, particularly the reported diploma in accounting, Bachelor of Laws, MBA from Divine Word and UPNG respectively. It is very suspicious and unprofessional  when the Minister for Environment Conservation and Climate Change, Hon Simo Kilepa, wrote to UPNG Vice Chancellor asking to confirm Jude’s questioned education qualifications. This very due diligence work is the core responsibility of the Public Service Commission and Department of Personnel Management. What authority does the portfolio minister have to write to the Universities? Dumbfounding indeed if one asks. Ulterior motives written all over the letter. This amounts to  Questionable Academic Qualifications of Mr Tukulyia.    
Read more

AUGUSTINE MANO PNG'S PREMIER CORPORATE CROOK

Image
by  MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN In a significant setback for Mineral Resources Development Corporation (MRDC), the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea has dismissed the company's appeal to stop criminal investigations into its dealings with landowner funds held in the Pacific Balance Fund (PBF). The court ruled that MRDC's appeal was an "abuse of process" and ordered the company to pay costs of the proceedings. MRDC, a unit holder in PBF, had taken legal action against the National Court's decision to dismiss its case, arguing that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter. However, the Supreme Court disagreed and held that MRDC's appeal was nothing more than an attempt to interfere with the police's criminal investigative process. The court found that MRDC had no authority to conducted its own investigation into the activities of the Melanesian Trustee Services Limited (MTSL), the fund manager of PBF, and that its actions were in violation of the Trust Deed
Read more

PNG, VERY RICH YET STILL A VERY VERY POOR COUNTRY

Image
by GARY MONDULAME Papua New Guinea (PNG), a nation blessed with abundant natural resources, continues to grapple with economic challenges that belie its potential wealth. The nation's economic narrative is a paradox—rich in resources yet burdened by poverty. The explanation for this paradox lies not only in economic mismanagement but also in deep-seated corruption that has permeated the political landscape since independence in 1975. Following its independence from Australia, PNG was entrusted to leaders who lacked a vision for a holistic national development. This absence of foresight is evident from the lack of long-term development plans that could have distributed the country’s wealth fairly across all regions and communities. Successive governments failed to establish foundational strategies such as building satellite townships or creating robust rural housing schemes. Instead, they resorted to short-term, reactive measures that did not foster sustainable growth. The nascent l
Read more

BLIND LEADING THE BLIND, WHY THE PNG ECONOMY STILL SUCKS

Image
Elizabeth Genia, Acting Governor Bank of PNG (BPNG) by MICHAEL JOSEPH PASSINGAN The economy of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is at a crucial juncture. Despite some signs of recovery, the country faces several structural challenges that continue to impede its economic progress. The March 2024 Monetary Policy Statement from the Bank of Papua New Guinea sheds light on these issues, providing a comprehensive overview of the economic landscape and the policy responses being implemented to navigate through these turbulent times. In 2023, PNG's economy grew by a modest 1.4%, a significant slowdown from the 5.2% growth witnessed in 2022. This tepid growth is largely attributed to delays in major projects and ongoing economic issues that have not been fully resolved. The anticipated growth for 2024 is around 3.0%, buoyed by the resumption of production at the Porgera gold mine. While this marks an improvement, it remains subdued compared to the potential of this resource-rich nation. One of the mo
Read more

James Marape's Missteps Openly Exposed at Australian Forum

Image
by  MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN  In a recent event that highlighted the complexities of international diplomacy and governance, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, James Marape, faced a challenging situation during his appearance at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia. The Lowy Institute, known for its role as an independent think tank focusing on international policy, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, provided a platform for a candid assessment of Marape's governance. Following his formal address, Marape engaged in a dialogue with Dr. Michael Fullilove AM, the Executive Director of the Institute. Dr. Fullilove, a respected figure in public and international policy, scrutinized Marape's past promises and statements, contrasting them with the current state of affairs in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The discussion took a critical turn as Dr. Fullilove revisited Marape's 2019 speech at the same venue, where Marape had outlined his vision for PNG in a speech titled “A New Boo
Read more

MARAPE & PAITA ABOUT TO SIGN AWAY PNG GOLD

Image
By: Andrew Arthur Prime Minister Hon. James Marape and his planning minister Reinbo Paita are the parties behind the theft of all Papua New Guinea’s gold for the next 100 years! They have given approval for the STATE of Papua New Guinea to sign away all gold rights to an Australian paper company in Refinery Holdings PTE LTD. First, they have done the deal with a paper company even before there is a LAW that says they have the right to do the deal. We see how the real manipulation works out. Marape and Paita now need to get the law passed by Parliament. The law is before the Parliament to set up Papua New Guinea’s first National Gold Corporation. The National Gold Corporation Bill first surfaced in 2012 but successive Government of Sir Michael Somare and Hon. Peter O’Neill, in their wisdom, had refused to pass this Bill as there have been some sinister motives and constitutional issues associated with the Bill. The new bill will allow Refinery Holdings LTD PTE to own 70% of the National
Read more

A Call for Local Ownership and Fairness

Image
by JUSTIN PARKER In recent discussions surrounding the establishment of a gold refinery in Papua New Guinea (PNG), concerns have been raised regarding various aspects of the proposed project. Spearheaded by foreign investors, the initiative has sparked debates over ownership, exclusivity, tax concessions, underwriting, management rights, control over currency, legal protections, and historical failures. These concerns, if unaddressed, could potentially undermine the interests of PNG and its people, particularly the hardworking alluvial miners who form the backbone of the nation's mining sector. At the heart of the issue lies the question of ownership. The proposed ownership structure, favoring foreign investors with a substantial 70% stake, raises eyebrows, especially considering PNG's past experiences with failed ventures like seabed mining. Instead of ceding majority control to foreign entities, many argue that PNG should assert full ownership over the refinery. With the coun
Read more