Authorities urged to fix Madang schools

Source: The National

MANY parents with children attending schools in Madang want education authorities to look into restoring and renovating old school buildings and provide more teachers’ houses.
A concerned parent said this yesterday after recent reports of the shortage of space during enrollment.
The parent, who was a former board member of one of the schools and who did not want to sound biased, said most of the infrastructure in schools around Madang town such as Tusbab, Kusbau, Jomba and Mero at Sagalau were in dire need of repair and major renovation.
“At Holy Spirit High, there is a serious shortage of teachers’ houses, Kusbau is falling apart. You should see the staff houses; it is like putting the chickens in a chicken coop.
“There must be major renovation to classrooms to cater for the large number of students coming in.
“Teachers will only be happy to perform if their living conditions are improved,” he said.
The parent also stressed that landowners were taking advantage of the usage of land and occupying teachers’ houses illegally.
The example, he stressed, was in Jomba where a Yabob landowner occupied a staff house and had been living there for several years.
He said the issue of shortage was not only a problem at Tusbab but the entire country and most had never been reported.
He also supported Tusbab Secondary School principal Margret Valakvi’s call for more secondary schools to be opened in Madang.

Experts say no baseline study for Basamuk

By JAYNE SAFIHAO, The National
THE resounding question of whether or not a thorough baseline study of the Basamuk area was conducted or not prior to, and during, the environmental study revealed that there was none.
These and other questions raised in relation to sedimentation and upwelling were spelt out yesterday in the courtroom by Tiffany Nonggorr of Nonggorr and Williams Lawyers.
The scientist who took the stand today representing the developer Ramu Nico management were: Philip Tower, a marine chemist; Dr George Shou, an engineer with BRASS Engineering, a Canadian company; and Stuart Jones, an environment and social impact scientist who has an honours in geography and a bachelors in geology.
All admitted that to an extent a baseline study was not properly conducted which included, the sum total of every scientific data and the various living organisms within that particular area.
Jones spoke at length on the strong possibility of upwelling during the monsoonal rainy seasons, of which were currently being felt, was likely with the current strong northwesterly winds.
With reference to the Scottish Association of Marine Scientist report, he said that there needed to be a continual 12-month period of monitoring done.
Shou brought a 500ml plastic coke container of slurry into the court room to show the court what slurry would look like in the 350km pipeline and then, in layman’s  language, he explained the processes of the extraction of the nickel, laterite and other minerals in stages to the waste removal.
Shou, however, admitted that due to a ‘judgment error’ previously made by miscalculations the piping of the Misima mines eventually broke causing the spill that occurred in September 2004.
With leading questions still unanswered by a straight “yes–or-no” answer regarding the question of stringent monitoring and toxicological effects to the marine environment the court was adjourned yesterday afternoon to 9.30am today.
Secretary for Environment and Conservation Dr Wari Iamo and others who were supposed to take the stand yesterday will do so this morning

PNG-Australia alumni group donates instruments to Modilon

Source: 

The National - Tuesday, February 15, 2011 

By  ELIZABETH MIAE
THE PNG-Australia Alumni Association (PNGAAA) has come to the aid of Madang’s Modilon Hospital with the donation of two new blood pressure (BP) machines to its ante natal clinic and the labour ward.
The BP machines are very important medical equipment that are needed in every health facility but unfortunately staff at these two facilities at Modilon have been using one each to examine pregnant women.
The PNGAAA had initially planned to donate the machines to the Lutheran School of Nursing (LSON) however the school decided that the machines be given to the hospital instead.
LSON midwifery coordinator Elizabeth Natera said they saw the hospital’s need for these machines and it (hospital) was also used as a training ground for LSON students.
She said they would also be requesting for additional BP machines for the post natal and gynecology wards.
Obstetrician and gynecologist Dr John Bolnga said the new BP machines would go a long way in assisting the staff at the maternity wing with their daily work.
“The ante natal clinic sees about 100 pregnant women in a week, including those that travel in from the rural areas,” acting sister in charge of the ante natal clinic Margaret Gemo said.
She said apart from the ante natal clinic, they also have family planning clinic and it was a must that the women had their blood pressures checked.
PNGAAA chairperson Menser Wagun, when presenting at the hospital last Friday, said that as Papua New Guineans who were educated in Australia, they were challenged by the government to help improve the health of its citizens.
She said this was part of a small health project by the association that they hoped to expand throughout the country.
Wagun told the gathering that 13 machines were given to University of Papua New Guinea’s School of Medicine, another 12 were given to Maprik hospital in East Sepik and 10 to Milne Bay.
The first phase of the project was a mobile clinic at Gaire village in Central’s East Hiri district.

Work resumes at Ramu NiCo project site

By JAYNE SAFIHAO, The National
Landowners of the Kurumbukari nickel cobalt project will meet with the Minerals and Resources Authority (MRA) in Madang today to discuss outstanding issues.
MRA acting general manager, Philip Samar gave an undertaking last week via a conference at Kurumbukari by Ramu NiCo management and landowners over the issues.
Last week, disgruntled landowners, trying to halt testing work to the Butua plant laid down their demands.
Commissioning work for the plants started last Tuesday during which three days were given to Ramu NiCo by landowners to conduct their testing of plants.
Part of their demands in a Nov 15 letter to the company were that land lease payments of more than five years be paid and include sub-clans who had contributed land, compensation
payments for pits that were dug for sampling and business development opportunities be given.
They also wanted Ramu NiCo to fasttrack its training and localisation programme and review the long overdue memorandum of agreement (MoA).
Landowners from the four major tribes, Maure, Nokomboi, Imburumba and Pagazi, were
confused last week when machines excavated top soil at the special mine lease area.
They converged on the site and stopped them.
The landowners told Ramu NiCo and its stakeholders that all statutory payments would have
to be made within 10 days.

Madang gets more support to fight AIDS

 By STEPHANIE ELIZAH, The National
THE public and private sector in Madang have vowed to work together in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The pledge was initiated at the Coastwatchers Hotel on Wednesday by representatives of Lae Builders & Contractors, ANZ Bank and Chemcare Pharmacy giving support to work alongside the public sector to fight the killer disease.
Madang district administrator Lawrence Pitor, who officially opened the one-day forum, said team work was crucial to stop the spread of the virus.
“HIV/AIDS is a national issue that needs to be addressed provincially and at district level. It is a cross-cutting problem that needs to be dealt with by everyone.
“Right now, awareness is lacking, partnership is lacking.
“Private sectors, maybe you are doing fine with your fight against HIV/AIDs programmes, but I am not aware of it.  We need to work together from here onwards, share information, communicate updates and work as a team in addressing this issue,” Pitor said.
He added discussions in the forum must be effected through the implementation of resolutions.
“The disease is at all levels of society that is why, it is important that today, we look at the way forward and work on resolving this issue in our province,” he said.
Provincial AIDS Council care, counselling and community support coordinator Conrad Wadunah said it was a significant development to have both public and private sectors networking to fight HIV/AIDS in the province.

DPM launches plan

 By JASON GIMA WURI, The National
PLANS and policies will suceed if the public serivce is effective and transparent.
This is the job of the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) which will be judged on these successes.
Public Service Minister Moses Maladina made these comments when launching DPM’s corporate plan 2011-15 at Crowne Plaza on Wednesday.
“I would like to acknowledge and also congratulate secretary John Kali and the staff of the DPM for your efforts in achieving this corporate plan.
“Obviously it is important for any organisation to have a corporate plan but what’s important for the DPM is that, as a central agency of the government, the department plays a vital role in the successful implementation of the government’s strategic plan.
“As the face of politics evolves, we will get a new generation of politicians and leaders who are well-travelled and educated who will be well-versed in government and business enterprises,” Maladina said.
“The demand that these people place on the public service will be different from what we have experienced in the past.
“They will be operating at a different pace,  driven by world standards.
“We are currently in a transitional phase and the public service will have to embrace this transition,” he said.
He said that the corporate plan is aligned to the Vision 2050 and also to the development strategic plan 2010-30.

Sir Michael clears air on Sunset Merona

Source: The National

The Operation Sunset Merona is at the request of the people of West Sepik through their provincial administration, according to Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.
Sir Michael in a statement said the rationale behind Operation Sunset Merona was to assist the provincial authorities address the different security issues at the PNG-Indonesia border.
Led by the Royal PNG Constabulary and assisted by the PNG Defence Force, this whole-of-government approach operation involves line agencies such as the Correctional Service, Customs, Immigration, Foreign Affairs and the Provincial Affairs departments.
“Respective agencies have also been directed to look at medium to long term strategies for the management of both our land and maritime borders.
“This combined security operation is aimed at reinforcing and maintaining State authority at this very strategic location and furthermore to renew confidence in our border systems and procedures,” Sir Michael said.
He said the National Executive Council endorsed this security exercise last month.
Sir Michael said the Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council through the National Security Advisory Committee was coordinating this whole of government border security operation which would run for six weeks.

NARI predicts mega drought

By KARI TOTONA, The National
PAPUA New Guinea is predicted to experience a mega drought by the year 2013.
National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) representative, Dr Raghunath Ghodake told the midday Talkback show on the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) on Wednesday that about two million Papua New Guineans would be affected by this drought which was predicted to be much stronger and longer than the one recorded in 1997.
“PNG population at the time was 4.5 million and now it has gone up to 6.5 million.
“More people will be affected and that is why we are carrying out preparation work in the community to make aware of the control measures in place and the technologies available with NARI,” he said.
He highlighted the three important resources that could be scarce during the drought were Food, water and fire.
He said there were nine to 14 different lines of sweet potatoes, taro, yam, cassava and others that NARI was focused in the awareness programme launched in May last year to avoid health-related problems.
He said currently they were working in regional centres with church-run services, non-governmental organisations and individuals.
He said with the financial assistance from the government, NARI was able to take the lead in carrying out preparation work.
“In PNG most food are fresh so we are making awareness on food control measures on food preservatives.
 “This year is not too bad so there is enough time,” he said. 

Kapris still at Beon jail

 THE state has ignored court orders to move William Nanua Kapris to Bomana jail in Port Moresby for safety reasons cited in their own urgent application since last year due to lack of funds.
The application made on a Saturday by senior state prosecutor, Pondros Kaluwin, who is currently on leave, stated that for security reasons Kapris had to be quickly sent to Bomana and not be kept at Beon or be allowed to join his accomplices at the main compound.
According to Kapris’ lawyer David Dotaona, who did not seem surprised when told of his clients predicament, said: “What is the purpose of the application then if the state was adamant that he be moved to Bomana due to intelligence reports from the National Intelligence Organisation (NIO) that he would either be assassinated or aided to escape if kept at Beon by some outside accomplices.”
“Ask the Correctional Service Commissioner or Kaluwin why Kapris is still at Beon,” Dotaona added.

Greetings

A very happy New year 2011 to you all viewers or followers of this blog. This year, I believe will be a very challenging year. My blog has not been updated for the past months up till this year. I was away for a long leave and thus was the reason for such happening. From this post onwards, you should be able to see updated information regarding news and other specials issues concerning Madang as well as the country of Papua New Guinea. I hope this year, this blog brings to you all information of relevance and significance. May this year be a prosperous year for you all and you all are welcome to continue following this blog.

Warm Regards

Hector Morris
MadangInfo Line