Posts

Showing posts from August, 2021

Douglas Tomuriesa, Pope Francis and James Marape

-
Image
  Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa said he is disappointed and embarrassed over the way His Holiness Pope Francis was treated by Prime Minister James Marape over the last three-days during the Papal visit, and the lack of courtesy and respect shown by the Prime Minister. He said the Prime Minister continuously declares PNG as a ‘Christian country’ and prides himself on being a religious individual but he was surprised when the Pope was continuously snubbed by the PM over the weekend since the Pope’s arrival on Friday. “The Pope is the head of the Catholic church, the largest Christian church in the world and he is also a head of state. “PNG not only being a Christian country, but a country that prides itself as a ‘friend to all, enemy to none’, the PM should be according the Pope with the highest level of respect,” Tomuriesa said. The Opposition Leader pointed out that on Friday, the Prime Minister did not welcome the Pope at the airport, a tradition he had accorded to many other wo
Post a Comment
Read more

Census deferred to 2024

-
Image
  July 13, 2021 Main Stories By LORRAINE JIMAL THE national population and housing census has been deferred yet again – this time to 2024 – raising concern over its effect on the 2022 national election and national development programmes. In a full-page newspaper advertisement yesterday, acting National Statistician John Igitoi blamed the current Covid-19 pandemic as the main reason behind the deferral. “As a responsible State agency, we need to adhere and execute government measures and strategies in the interest of the nation impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said. Former census director Bernard Kiele said yesterday that the census, which was to happen last year, was deferred to July this year. Now it has been deferred again to an unconfirmed date in 2024. “For it to be delayed again is not right,” Kiele said. He said a census was one of the most important government programmes to collect data for national planning purposes. It is supposed to be carried out every 10 years. The l
Post a Comment
Read more

No Cabinet reshuffle: Marape

-
Image
  August 4, 2021 Main Stories By MIRIAM ZARRIGA PRIME Minister James Marape has ruled out any Cabinet reshuffle despite two ministers currently facing a leadership tribunal. The ministers are Telefomin MP Solan Mirism, the Defence Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Commerce and Industry Sam Basil, who is Bulolo MP. Marape told The National he respected all Cabinet ministers “and there is no vacancy and there is no reshuffle”. Mirisim had three charges of the 22 allegations of misconduct in office against him struck out by the tribunal after the public prosecutor indicated that the provisions relied upon were wrong and misconceived. The tribunal, chaired by Justice Les Gavara-Nanu, told Mirisim that he would still have to answer to the remaining allegations. Mirisim had pleaded guilty to declaring false and misleading information in the annual statement for 2011/2012 and 2012/2013. The tribunal rejected Mirisim’s submission to throw out the remaining allegations. The t
Post a Comment
Read more

Worst transaction: Duma

-
Image
  August 4, 2021 Main Stories By BOURA GORUKILA THE O’Neill government’s Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) loan transaction in 2014 was the worst transaction in the history of the country, former Petroleum minister William Duma told a commission of inquiry yesterday. Duma, who is Hagen Open MP, told the inquiry that the country had lost millions and some of them were decommissioned for refusing to agree on the transaction. He said the Government should only borrow money to build hospitals, roads and fund public infrastructures such as schools which the people should benefit from, not to buy shares in a public company. “You are not a private investor, you are a Government, you borrow so that the public benefits,” Duma said “There was no cost benefit analysis done by National Economic and Fiscal Commission. “There was no thorough review by the ministerial gas committee or the ministerial economic committee. “If we look at it now, where we are, or what we gained out of the transaction? “We
Post a Comment
Read more

Caught red-handed

-
Image
  August 4, 2021 Main Stories The 20-year-old woman and the two men being interviewed by immigration and police officers. – Nationalpics by KENNEDY BANI By MIRIAM ZARRIGA A 15-YEAR-OLD girl, found in a guesthouse during a spot check by immigration and police officers yesterday, said she was sold, without her knowledge, by her cousin sister for K100 to two men for sex. Officers of the Immigration and Citizenship Authority (ICA) and police happened to arrive at the guesthouse for a spot check just when the two men were trying to find a room for them and the girl. The guesthouse at 5-Mile in Port Moresby was next on the officers’ list as they crack down on illegal activities by businessmen and foreigners who have become naturalised citizens. They found the girl among around 20 men and women inside. They realised that the business was providing other services than just accommodation. The girl when questioned by the officials broke down, saying she was forced to follow the two men by her co
Post a Comment
Read more

Dragons re-sign Albert

-
Image
  August 4, 2021 Sports By PARKER TAMBUA PAPUA New Guinea Orchids captain Elsie Albert has been re-signed by the St George Illawarra Dragons for the upcoming National Rugby League Women’s (NRLW) season which kicks off in October. “When determining our squad for the upcoming campaign, we wanted to make sure we re-signed the right players from last season, those who wanted to don our jersey,” Dragons NRLW coach Matt Head said on the club’s website yesterday. “To have Elsie from the start of pre-season unlike last year will only benefit her and the club. “She’s a powerful player and an international who will be a huge asset to our club.” The 25-year-old, from Southern Highlands, was yesterday named alongside Teagan Berry, Jaime Chapman and Talei Holmes as Dragons recruits for the 2021 season. PNG Rugby Football League coaching director Michael Marum told The National that Albert deserved the call-up, given her 2020 form in the world’s premier women’s rugby league competition. “Elsie’s sta
Post a Comment
Read more

Popular posts from this blog

Douglas Tomuriesa, Pope Francis and James Marape

-
Image
  Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa said he is disappointed and embarrassed over the way His Holiness Pope Francis was treated by Prime Minister James Marape over the last three-days during the Papal visit, and the lack of courtesy and respect shown by the Prime Minister. He said the Prime Minister continuously declares PNG as a ‘Christian country’ and prides himself on being a religious individual but he was surprised when the Pope was continuously snubbed by the PM over the weekend since the Pope’s arrival on Friday. “The Pope is the head of the Catholic church, the largest Christian church in the world and he is also a head of state. “PNG not only being a Christian country, but a country that prides itself as a ‘friend to all, enemy to none’, the PM should be according the Pope with the highest level of respect,” Tomuriesa said. The Opposition Leader pointed out that on Friday, the Prime Minister did not welcome the Pope at the airport, a tradition he had accorded to many other wo
Read more

MARAPE: INCORRECT WORDING ON WARRANT

-
Image
 MARAPE: INCORRECT WORDING ON WARRANT Post Courier  24th July 2024  PRIME Minister James Marape has assured the Gulf people that no funds meant for them including the Papua LNG project, have been diverted elsewhere. And Treasurer Ian Ling Stuckey on Friday also announced that Gulf funds were intact and the earlier warrants were withdrawn and that the issue has been rectified due to an incorrect wording. But yesterday an irate Gulf Governor Sir Chris Haiveta said his position still stands – that he will file the court proceedings today and allow the courts to correct the system and get to the bottom of this. This is over the K60 million IDG and Business Development Grants of which K20 million is supposedly for Gulf Province that Sir Chris is now taking to court. Marape said the Pangu-led government is committed to allocating development funds to all resource areas, including Ramu and Lihir, and will uphold fairness in all resource projects. This comes after an incorrect wording on a war
Read more

PAITA CORRECTS MARAPE’S WRONG CLAIMS

-
Image
 PRESS STATEMENT Tuesday 11 June 2024 For Immediate Release – Finschhafen MP and Alternative Prime Minister nominee Hon. Rainbo Paita has expressed his disappointment in Prime Minister James Marape over what he described as “blatant misstatements” and a “poor choice of words” by Mr Marape in reference to the recent PANGU Pati caucus meeting. In response to Mr Marape’s media statement on Sunday June 9, 2024, Mr Paita corrected the Prime Minister on several misleading points expressed in the statement, and again defended the decision of the 12 MPs, which includes him, to leave not PANGU Pati, but the Party Leader Marape.  Mr Paita said: “Mr Marape proudly stated that the party unanimously voted to maintain his position as party leader, and maintain the position of the deputy party leader, but I place on record that we, the PANGU MPs who have challenged Marape’s leadership, were NOT given an opportunity to vote on this matter. “At the time of the meeting, we were still PANGU Pati MPs and
Read more

PNG fighting 3 battles: Onglo

-
Image
  May 4, 2021 Main Stories By MIRIAM ZARRIGA POLICE Minister William Gogl Onglo says the country is fighting three huge battles: the fast – multiplying Covid-19 pandemic, the spiralling economy and escalating law and order issues. “Ethnic clashes in the National Capital District, the Alotau issue and tribal fighting in Kainantu are all matters that need urgent intervention,” he said. In a phone interview with  The National,  Onglo said the fear and anxiety within the community should be addressed. “The reality is that we now have three huge battles to fight,” Onglo said. “We have the pandemic, the economy and the escalating law and order issues. “Law and order is everyone’s business and any under-lying causes into the ethnic clashes need to be identified and resolved by the leaders of the communities. “The law has to work due to the breakdown in law and order around the country. “We are commencing preparations for the 2022 General Election and we need to resolve the disputes and ethnic
Read more

4 held over cop’s killing

-
Image
4 held over cop’s killing POLICE arrested four suspected cop killers in Dobel’s Tari Camp in Mt Hagen on Wednesday, Western Highlands Commander Superintendent John Sagom says. “They were arrested by Mt Hagen-based Mobile Squad members in connection with the murder of Senior Constable Nelson Kalimda (on Oct 20),” he added. Sagom said the suspects would be under strict watch by Mt Hagen police throughout the process of investigations. “While they are in police custody in Mt Hagen police station, they will not be released under any special circumstances. “The arrest of the suspects is the first step to pave way for the criminal investigation process to run, and thus the Mt Hagen-based police must not under any circumstances let them go or release them on bail,” he added. According to the mobile unit, it is believed that the suspects were in Mt Hagen earlier this week and they drove around in a white Toyota LandCruiser when caught. It is also believed that the prime suspect came to the pro
Read more