Staff locked out

 

By DYLAN MURRAY

EMPLOYEES of the National Housing Commission (NHC) were locked out of the head office in Port Moresby, following differences over who is the rightful managing director, a spokesman says.

A commission spokesman said that they had been locked out by police since Friday, preventing them from entering the premises.

“Police had given instructions to the security company taking care of the premises, which is owned by Tropicana, to not let us in,” he said.

The row began when the National Court in Waigani on April 28 quashed the appointment of Henry Mokono as the managing director by the National Executive Council in July, 2021, saying it did not follow proper process.

The court upheld a judicial review application filed by former NHC acting managing director Elizabeth Bowada.

Mokono in a statement claimed that Bowada last Thursday accompanied by police stormed into the NHC head office and demanded that the keys to the managing director’s office be handed to her.

But Bowada told The National that the court had upheld her judicial review application on April 28.

She said that because of that, her previous status as acting managing director “comes back”. Mokono’s personal assistant, Vincent Bazoh, said Bowada had demanded the keys from him.

“She said she would get a court order against me,” Bazoh said.

The spokesman said a meeting was held yesterday shortly after employees were let back onto the premises. “The rank and file gave 100 per cent loyalty and commitment to serve the managing director Henry Mokono,” he said.

Police who were at the scene in the morning opened the gates at about 9am, saying Met Supt Silva Sika had given orders for the gates to be opened and the employees to resume work.