GETTING PNG HUNTERS PROMOTED WHERE WE CAN
Month: February 2014
“PM: BILLIONS STOLEN” as the Headline News in yesterday’s Post Courier and the statement therein may appear to the ordinary and unsuspecting man or woman as positive news. However, the Opposition sees it as negative news and one that Papua NEW Guineans must watch very carefully.
The first point we must make, is that the present and past governments must take full responsibility for the legacy of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) because the lackluster performance of these companies are due to politicization of Boards and Senior Management positions. Incompetent and unqualified persons or persons with questionable backgrounds and reputations have continuously been appointed through political affiliations or ‘wantok’ system. As a result, you have poor and politically compromised Boards and Management decisions in matters of administration and investment. The Prime Minister’s statement couldn’t be anything more than the very classic example of “the kettle telling the pot, you are black”, as Peter O’Neill was once the Chairman of the former Papua New Guinea Banking Corporation which he ran down, resulting in the sale of PNGBC to the Bank of South Pacific.
The second point is that the statement by the Prime Minister is setting the stage for key state owned enterprises to be sold to private interests under the Private Public Partnership policy. We are not surprised that he has once again, come out with his usual concocted and convoluted theories of why he wants to make changes to present laws and systems. Here, he is accusing the management of State Owned Enterprises of stealing and misusing billions of tax-payers money, and because of that, it is time to SELL..!!!
We wish to warn the Prime Minister not to embark on a fire sale of state owned enterprises under the guise of misuse or abuse of billions of Kina. Some of these businesses are monopolies and can be very profitable when better managed. We do not believe the answer lies in whole or partial sale of government businesses. It simply needs smarter corporate governance and management practices.
The government must review the present structure and governance with a view to establishing more stringent checks and controls, including the appointment processes of members to Boards and senior executives.
We, as the Opposition are entitled to our apprehensions and speculations, based on Peter O’Neill’s style of conducting government business. We believe Peter O’Neill’s motives are hidden behind the curtain of ‘missing billions.’ If he, as the Prime Minister doesn’t want to fix the problems with SOEs, then he must come up with a very clear and credible plan of how these sales are to be managed.
We hope that the Prime Minister has not already lined up his cronies and associates to buy into these state owned enterprises. We hope there are no plans to under-value and under-price the shares and assets to suit certain buyers.
Unless the government comes up with a very clear and credible plan of how the whole or partial privatization of state owned enterprises will be managed, we see the Prime Minister’s grand statement as nothing more than a concocted and convoluted scheme designed and engineered to suit himself and his cronies to lay their hands on vital utility businesses.
We repeat, the solution is not found in selling, but in finding smarter and innovative ways of corporate governance and management. Setting up a holding company with a Super Board, constituted by foreign and local eminent persons, to oversee the management and operations of each state entity would be a way forward.
GOD BLESS PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Hon. Belden Norman Namah, MP
Leader of Opposition
After 40 years of independence and the advancement and improvement in Telecommunication platforms throughout the World, one would have thought Goilala, been one of the 4 district, that make up Central Province, which supposedly houses Papua New Guinea’s capital city of Port Moreby to be up there in par with the best in the business in regards to having access to very up to date tools in as far as Technology is concern.
For example, apart from the rugged terrains and mountainous regions, Telecommunication network expansion should be a service worth delivering to the people.
As it is now, Digicel signals are only accessible at Tapini station and its surrounding villages, The furtherest one can receive signals is Erume. Kerau and Sopu get faint signals only at certain points. Tolukuma is another spot in Goilala that enjoy the Bigger Better Network signals but that is all because of the Mine activity in that locality.
On the other hand, Telikom owned B Mobile is non existent. Tapini station and Woitape station has some visat satellite dish installations and operate using Telikads but the number of people lining up to use this service is so long it resembles long queues at an ATM at Hagen City or Lae City.
We can not even get EMTV signals in any part of Goilala. This is a National Television station and isn’t it supposed to be made available to us the people?
Apart from Radio Central – Gibi Ena Gadona – Signal, we can not get PNG FM signals and even FM 100 – information leader – signals in any spot in Goilala.
Digicel, Telikom, EMTV and FM and Long and Short Wave radio Frequency signals should be reachable and accesible as far as Guari, Bizoa, Enaugagave,Ganiawai, Ghivena, Kamulai, Kelevi, Koefa, Koilapo, Lobudono, Mariboi, Omuitu, Rapaula, Rupila, Taveve, Tonamena, Torula, and Zhake, Uluna, Ombole Tiviro, Ononge, Kambisea, Kulama, Chirime, Fane, Kone, Garime, Belavista, Yeme, Sindo and Mondo, Koruavu, Maini, Ita, Tuv, Laitata, Oni Sene, Iveiava, Sopu 1 and Sopu 2, Lov, Lore, Lamanaipi, Kileipu, Malava, Irai, Kioriv, Kunim, Kalom, Loloip, Erume, Karom, Kerau, Kataipa, Lavavai, Tavuniav, and Pilitu.
Information is POWER. And having services which enables people to enrich themselves with information to be able to make informed decisions is one vital ingredient that needs undivided support and attention.
Health in Goilala is one area that does not seem to get the attention is deserves over the years. Past and present leaders seem to turn a blind eye on Health time and again. Health centers are either closed or are semi operating with either just one nursing officer or a couple who come to work as and when they feel like.
In Goilala there are only 15 nurses. Registered Nurse is just 1 (myself – Leontine Javia) but am not full time at home. Community Health Workers are 14.
Tapini has 2, Woitape, 5 (most living in Pom) Yongai 2, Ononge 2, Fane 3, Kamulai 0 (closed).
Ms Javia challenged all her fellow Goilalas, “what will you do personally to rectify this problem, while sitting in your comfortable chairs? Ms Javia further sent her challenges to those nurses hanging around everywhere, and said “shame on you, stop pretending to serve others when your very own are dying.”
Goilala District population now hangs around the 40,000 inclusive of old, able, young, children based on the recently conducted 2012 National elections common roll figures. The census figures are outdated and can not be relied upon.
With such a population, having 2 nurses in Tapini, 5 nurses in Woitape, 2 in Yongai, 2 in Ononge, 3 in Fane and none in Kamulai, do you think this is a total and pure neglect by our Government? If the people of Goilala are dying of very curable diseases, whose fault is it that they are dying?
The terrain of the District is rough and rugged. Getting medical supplies and doing village to village visits is practically a very impossible task. Those sick and dying wanting to get to the closest Aid Post is a challenging encounter in itself.
Having a fully kitted, and staffed Health Center or Aid Post, properly maintained and funded in a rural community setting on standby to attend to sicknesses and illnesses one vital basic service that nearly all of Goilalas elected representatives have failed miserably to address.
Even the current MP Daniel K Mona after a year and half in office has not moved a fly to pay some urgently required attention to the dire and dying Health situation in Goilala.
While MP Mona is too tied up in his “official” duties, Goilala people, the very people that voted him into that Office die of curable diseases. Mothers are giving birth to their babies out in the village huts, children can not be cured of scabies, measles, diarrhea and other bacteria infested and related illness. Patients dying of accidents can not be treated because of lack of First Aid kits, TB patients can not be treated because there is not DOTS outposts nearby to attend to and monitor and treat TB patients.
A government that ignores the Health sector of its people is guilty of man slaughter and genocide. Our Papua New Guinea government has left us to fend for ourselves because there is no one coming.
May The Lord have Mercy on us and on the Souls of those who have died but should have been here.
Goilala's District Dev Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.