"Autonomy is negotiable but Independence for Bougainville is over my dead body"
He is dead and gone but his wisdom is for the unification of PNG stands tall.
Papua New Guinea can move on to become federal states as a unified country as we move into the future. Such option is available and are far from over.
Independence will only create disunity and segregation in a multination state such as our country that's what is meant for us to uphold national unity at all times.
"One people, One Kantri and One nation." Is the preamble of our constitution!
Let me recap the memories of PANGU PATI. It emerged in the bully beef club from like-minded leaders like Somare, Late John Guise, late Sir Albert KiKi, Sir Julius Chan, Fr John Momis and Late Bernard Narakobi and others who saw the common dream for PNG self Independence 45 years ago and consequently gave birth to our nations based on the fundamental principles of National Unity.
Sir Palus Matane described our nation as a Parliament of 10,000 tribes meaning our country is unique and is United in Diversity.
The abbreviation of the name PANGU initially means "Papua New Guinea United Pati."
So make no mistake from the wisdom of the living legends! Dead and living Instead we should progress our nation to a higher level of unification of politics for our common good thus greater autonomy for our provinces.
Oil Search's year-end target for reaching a deal with the Papua New Guinea government – so that work can proceed on a planned $US14 billion ($20 billion) expansion of liquefied natural gas – is uncertain after the parties failed to agree on terms or even the state of the negotiations.
PNG petroleum minister Kerenga Kua released a statement on Friday expressing "disappointment" with the progress of talks after ExxonMobil, the lead partner in the LNG venture, "refused to consider the state's proposed terms".
Mr Kua said the proposed terms, which were not disclosed, are "based on international best practice". They are understood to involve a higher tax rate and a more onerous domestic gas requirement than under a similar earlier deal for the separate but related Papua LNG project.
But ExxonMobil said the discussions with the PNG government to complete were continuing. "An agreement is needed before decisions can be made regarding front-end engineering and design for the three-train development at the PNG LNG plant site," an ExxonMobil spokesperson said.
Exxon, French major Total and Oil Search need to reach an agreement on the fiscal and other terms related to the development of the P'nyang gas field to proceed with the LNG expansion. The earlier deal for Papua LNG was struck under the former government of Peter O'Neill, while the new government, led by James Marape, has taken a much tougher line on resource development, demanding that more benefits flow to the PNG economy and local communities.
The partners need the second deal to be tied up before they can proceed with engineering work on the three-train expansion, which involves both Papua LNG and the expansion of the existing PNG LNG project, fed by the P'nyang field.
Credit Suisse analyst Saul Kavonic told clients the statement supported his view that the PNG government was seeking "much tougher" terms on P'nyang than for Papua LNG.
That risks prolonging negotiations, delaying engineering work and potentially putting the final investment decision at risk for the whole project, which he calculates is worth $2.40 a share for Oil Search.
Shares in Oil Search dipped when the statement was released, but still closed up 1.1 per cent at $7.24 on Friday. Neither Exxon nor Oil Search would immediately comment.
Revenues 'critical'
Mr Kua described the P'nyang field as the last significant LNG opportunity in PNG, and said the revenues from development were, hence, critical for the nation.
He said the team negotiating the deal on behalf of PNG had carried out "extensive" preparatory work to draft terms in line with international standards to ensure a good deal for the PNG people. The revenues would be used for infrastructure, health and education.
"It is disappointing Exxon has refused to even consider these terms and we urge them to reconsider their position," Mr Kua said. According to a source familiar with the situation on the PNG side, Exxon has sought to table its own proposed agreement as the starting point for discussions.
Mr Kua said that while the negotiating team was committed to working with international oil companies to develop PNG's natural resources as quickly as possible to support the development of PNG, "our resources cannot become money‐making machines for oil companies at the expense of the nation".
Oil Search's outgoing managing director Peter Botten has previously underscored the importance of a timely agreement on the gas development so that the LNG expansion doesn't miss a market "window" for new demand expected to emerge mid next decade.
The timing of the expansion has already been delayed by many months owing to the difficulty of the negotiations, particularly after the change of government.
Mr Kua said the terms PNG proposed were comparative to those for oil and gas projects in Indonesia and Malaysia.
“We have asked Exxon to be transparent about their costs and intentions with P’nyang, so we can move forward with negotiations and secure a deal that is beneficial for PNG and project partners,” the minister said.
GRAND Chief Sir Michael Somare has urged Bougainvileans to vote wisely from tomorrow in the referendum which will decide their future.
“For many Papua New Guineans, (in) Bougainville and elsewhere in our beautiful country, the act of the referendum represents a sad event in our history following the gaining of full independence for the nation in 1975,” he said in a statement.
Maggie Tsidaori from Lower Siangnari Ward, South Nasioi, Central Bougainville, finishing house to house polling and scrutiny awareness as part of the Bougainville Referendum Commission voter information programme. – Picture courtesy of BRC
The two-week polling begins tomorrow (Nov 23) and ends on Dec 7. The return of writs is scheduled for Dec 20.
The voters will pick one of two options: Greater Autonomy or Independence.
“As the founding prime minister of this nation, I call on the people of Bougainville to be guided by their inner wisdom in the vote for independence or full autonomy for Bougainville,” he said.
“This is the outcome of the peace agreement that was signed to formally end the Bougainville conflict, to restore peace to the nation and to forge new pathways for improved prosperity and living conditions for our people.
“The Bougainville conflict was the price we paid for issues that were never satisfactorily addressed in relation to the Bougainville copper mine.
“The mine was a key source of revenue for the government and people of this country for many years.
“Unfortunately, there was much concern, particularly in Bougainville, that the benefits of mining were not being shared in an equitable way.”
He said the problem “continues to confront leaders of this nation to this day, as can be seen with unresolved issues (at the) Porgera gold mine and the PNG LNG Project”.
“As the founding father who has visited some of the remotest parts of our country in every province, I am keenly aware of the disparities that exist and continue to be inadequately addressed by national, provincial and local level governments,” he said.
“As Bougainvilleans make their voices heard in the referendum, it is my hope that PNG remains united and free in the aftermath of this historic poll.”
He said the country had remained united for more than 40 years which was an achievement in itself.
“So it with heavy hearts that the rest of our country awaits the decision that the people of Bougainville will be taking in the next couple of days.”
OIL Search congratulated the Papua New Guinea Orchids and Kumuls for their respective historic wins against the England and Great Britain Lions over the weekend. “We are proud to have been the sponsor of the Orchids since the team began, and proudly continue our support for the national women’s team,” said Oil Search PNG country chairman Gerea Aopi. “At Oil Search, we are committed to empowering women throughout PNG. We are honoured to support the team and are delighted about their victory.” He also thanked the coaching staff, PNG Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) and other sponsors for supporting the Orchids leading up to the win. Oil Search have been the inaugural sponsor of rugby league since the launch of the national women’s team in August 2017, just months before the Women’s Rugby League World cup in Sydney, Australia. During the 2017 launch, managing director Peter Botten pointed out Oil Search’s strong advocacy for ending violence against women in PNG. Oil Search and the Oil Search Foundation strive to use rugby league as a catalyst to drive positive change for women across the country. “PNG is a proud rugby league-playing nation. As a proud PNG company, we are delighted to be a part of promoting PNG and the amazing talent it produces,” Botten said. Aopi said: “Our faith and commitment to the Orchids is there and we are proud of their performance, and for scoring their first ever win in just over two years — a great victory.” Whilst the women’s game has been played in various capacities since the early 1970s, it was never properly organised nor recognised as a formal competition until February 2014 when the PNGRFL board formally ratified it to recognise, incorporate and sanction the women’s rugby league programme into the national rugby league structure. Oil Search has a three-year sponsorship with the PNGRFL for the Orchids. History — The Oil Search PNG Orchids
Oil Search PNG Orchids launched in August 2017;
played first test match against Australia in September 2017 in Port Moresby. Lost 42-14;
won their warm-up match ahead of RLWC2017 30-6 against Far North Queensland All Stars in Innisfail, near Cairns;
played in RLWC2017 in Sydney in November 2017. Lost to England (36-8), Canada (22-8) and New Zealand (38-0); 2018
last year, didn’t play any test matches but played an international against the Australian Prime Minister’s 13 and a trial match against Brisbane Broncos. Lost both
this year, played in the mid-season Pacific Test against Fiji Bulikula for the first time. Lost 28-0 against a Fiji team comprising mostly Australia and New Zealand-based players;
won silver at the inaugural women’s rugby league 9s tournament at the Pacific Games in Samoa in July 2019 (Fiji won gold; Cook Islands won bronze). A big confidence boost for many of the current players;
lost to Brisbane Broncos in a trial match in Port Moresby in August 2019;
played in the inaugural Rugby League World Cup 9s in Sydney in October 2019. Lost tough pool matches against England, New Zealand and Australia and,
Played first test against England in Goroka last week. Lost 24-10. Saturday’s match was the second test in that series.
By JACK AMI - The National ORCHIDS captain Elsie Albert was one of the three finalists for the International Rugby League women’s Golden Boot Award, which was won by St George Illawarra Dragons’ Jessica Sergis. Albert played at the 2017 World Cup in Sydney. She also played the Jillaroos in Port Moresby and two tests against England in PNG. She replaced second-rower Carol Humeu as the captain of the team for the two-test series. They lost the first test 10-24 in Goroka before bouncing back a week later with a 20-16 win in Port Moresby. PNG Rugby Football League chairman Sandis Tsaka said he was surprised when he had learned of Albert’s shortlisting for the award. “This is very interesting news. Since Albert’s appointment as skipper, she has lifted her game to be an enforcer for the Orchids,” he said. Tsaka said this indicated that the national teams made strides under the sport’s world governing body. “This paves the pathway for our women to reach the standard set by the Kumuls,” Tsaka said. “We’re developing the women’s code which is important for the country in terms of gender equality. This is just the start of good things to come and we will be right up there among the top teams in the future.” Coach Bagelo Solien also commended Albert. “Our players ever get recognised for such an award. It shows that our development pathways are going from strength to strength,” he said. Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/orchids-skipper-one-of-golden-boot-award-finalists/
PAPUA New Guinea are the big movers in the men’s and women’s rugby league world rankings.
The Kumuls have been recognised for their progress in the past 12 months, which culminated in the weekend’s 28-10 defeat of Great Britain, which vaulted them from 10th to sixth place. The Orchids, who won their Test against England in Port Moresby last Saturday, climbed from sixth position to fourth. Kumuls coach Michael Marum sees the rise up the rankings as a natural part of their journey, saying: “PNG climbing from 10th to sixth spot is really good for us. We can only go higher with more international fixtures.” Orchids coach Bagelo Solien said: “Going up two spots from sixth to fourth is pleasing after two test matches and we can only get better from here. It is good for the women’s game nationally and internationally.” Meanwhile, New Zealand have usurped Australia as the top nation in the International Rugby League world rankings after the conclusion of the 2019 season. The Kiwis have built on their 2018 wins over Australia and England and their recent 2-0 series defeat of Great Britain and victory in the mid-season Oceania Cup Test against Tonga to take the top position from the Kangaroos despite losing to them in Wollongong last month. Since winning the 2017 World Cup final, Australia have only played four Tests — winning two and losing two. Tonga remain in fourth spot but their historic triumph against the second-placed Kangaroos earlier this month has closed the gap on England, who now sit in third place in the world ranking. IRL chief executive officer Nigel Wood congratulated the countries on the rise. “Firstly, I would like to congratulate New Zealand on achieving their number one position. It is fully deserved based upon their recent excellent performances with four wins from their last five international games,” he said. “Tonga has possibly been the story of the recent internationals and they deserve all the plaudits that they have received. “They have certainly cemented their place as a genuine top four-nation and, along with other Pacific nations, throws the competition wide open for Rugby League World Cup 2021.” – NRL
Posted by Post Courier People of will know whether an initial order for a recount of ballot papers for the regional seat by the National Court will proceed to counting or a current Supreme Court review on that decision will go before a full bench of the high court. That was the indication by a one-person bench of the Supreme Court Justice Teresa Berrigan on Tuesday. This followed the hearing of two applications, one by the petitioner Francis Potape to dismiss the review for want of prosecution and another by the respondent and incumbent Governor Philip Undialu to vary or set aside the orders of another Supreme Court that ordered for the review book to be ready by last month, that is October 28. Lawyers for the parties, Paul Othas for Francis Potape, Gileng Goiye for Governor Philip Undialu and Alice Kimbu for the Electoral Commission spent almost half a day arguing their case before Justice Berrigan. Mr Othas submitted that the applicants had failed to comply with a Supreme Court order made on October 14 for the review book to be ready by October 28. “It is not only non-compliance of the rules but of a court order, they have no evidence to show compliance, filing and service as per the order nor have they set aside, varied or discharged the orders of the 14th…. The review must be dismissed for want of prosecution.” Goiye and Kimbu in rebuttal argued that there was no deliberate delay on their part and that the orders by the Supreme Court on October 14 were taken out on an exparte basis. They also highlighted to the court that there was another Supreme Court review involving the same parties that is awaiting a decision for amalgamation and a transcript that must be included in the review book. And in their application to vary and set aside the October 14 orders, Goiye submitted that the court had powers to do that and also make an additional order for the court reporting section to provide the transcript of the leave application before the Chief Justice. Go to this link for more: https://postcourier.com.pg/court-to-decide-hela-regional-recount/
DOMESTIC violence is a big problem all over the world. Regardless of the level of sophistication or crudeness of the society or nation, the ugly scourge of domestic violence, or specifically, violence against women and girls, will always be found. We in PNG are no exception.
Violence in the home is the wilful intimidation or physical and sexual assault perpetrated by one partner against another, especially a domineering male over his spouse. The violence is not only physical and sexual, but also includes psychological and emotional abuse. The epidemic of domestic violence often results in physical injury, psychological trauma, and in severe cases, even death. The physical, emotional, and psychological consequences can cross generations and last a lifetime.
Abuse in relationships There may be small tell-tale signs in a relationship that a person will become violent in later years. His hot temper or simple acts of jealousy in the beginning stages of the relationship may give him away. However, with her head in the clouds, the glassy-eyed young bride-to-be often glosses over these indicators, taking them as her boyfriend showing his affection for her. Later, as the young couple marry and begin their journey in life together, problems may arise in time, such as marital unfaithfulness on the part of the husband who never thought he could be swayed away from the love of his life. Suddenly, he is caught out, initially denying the act, and then becoming violent to cover his wrongs. So begins the cycle of violence in the home. Abusers gradually become more aggressive and controlling over time. They may begin with behaviours that may easily be downplayed such as possessiveness, or distrust. They may apologise profusely for their actions or try to convince the person they are abusing that they do these things out of love or care. However, violence and control always intensify over time with an abuser, despite the apologies. What may start out as something that was first believed to be harmless (e.g., wanting the victim to spend all their time only with them because they love them so much) escalates into extreme control and abuse (e.g., threatening to kill or hurt the victim or others if they speak to family, friends, etc.). Some examples of abusive tendencies include, but are not limited to:
Accusing the victim of cheating;
Keeping or discouraging the victim from seeing friends or family members;
Embarrassing or shaming the victim with put-downs;
Controlling every penny spent in the household;
Looking at or acting in ways that scare the person they are abusing;
Controlling who the victim sees, where they go, or what they do;
Dictating how the victim dresses, wears their hair, etc;
Stalking the victim or monitoring their victim’s every move (in person or also via the internet and/or other devices such as GPS tracking or the victim’s phone);
Preventing the victim from making their own decisions;
Threatening to hurt or kill the victim’s friends, loved ones, or pets
Intimidating the victim with guns, knives, or other weapons;
Pressuring the victim to have sex when they don’t want to or to do things sexually they are not comfortable with
Forcing sex with others
Pressuring or forcing the victim to use drugs or alcohol, and;
Preventing the victim from working or attending school, harassing the victim at either, keeping their victim up all night so they perform badly at their job or in school.
A solemn march through the community.
Domestic violence does not always end when the victim escapes the abuser. Often, it intensifies because the abuser feels a loss of control over the victim. In fact, the victim is often in the most danger directly following the escape of the relationship or when they seek help. Unfair blame is frequently put upon the victim of abuse because of assumptions that victims choose to stay in abusive relationships. The truth is, bringing an end to abuse is not a matter of the victim choosing to leave; it is a matter of the victim being able to safely escape their abuser, the abuser choosing to stop the abuse, or others (e.g., law enforcement, courts) holding the abuser accountable for the abuse they inflict.” (Source – www.ncadv.org).
In Melanesia Domestic violence is a big problem in Melanesia. Culturally, people are taught that females are inferior to males, and with the payment of ‘bride price”, many men think they have purchased property. That means, he can do as he likes in going out with other ladies while she is not to do or say anything because she ‘has been bought’! This is wrong. Because many of us call ourselves Christians, we must realise that we are subject to “Biblical Culture”. God’s Word is supra-cultural, in that, it is over and above all cultures of mankind which are tainted with sin (Gen 3). While we have many wonderful traits found in our cultures, when it comes to how we are to treat our womenfolk, we must obey the Bible. The Bible tells us:
Woman was created from the body of man – not from his head to rule over him; nor from his feet to be trampled on by him – but from his side, to stand equal with him! (Gen 2:21-22). Treat your wife as your equal in God’s eyes.
God has His roles for marriage spelt out in the Bible:
Women are to submit to and respect their husband as their family head, as they would to the Lord (Eph 5:22, 23). Respect his place of authority. When making decisions, make helpful suggestions, but allow him the final say. If it fails, he wears it – not you!
However, before we charge the Bible with male chauvinism, please note the balance to this –
Men are to love their wives sacrificially, as Christ loved the Church and died for her (Eph 5: 25). Jesus forgave the church (His Bride) of her sins, loves and cares for her, provides for her and protects her. He also died for her to give her life. That is what God expects of every husband to do for his wife, and no less. A man is to sacrificially love and respect his wife, provide for her and protect her – not hurt her! Only when a man loves his wife unconditionally will she show heartfelt submission to his headship!
A man sets examples for his sons by how he treats the women in his home. His love and respect for his wife (their mother) and his daughters will set a worthy example for his sons to follow. Sons who abuse their wives usually grew up witnessing abuse of their mother by their father. And so the cycle continues.
In society, the church is called upon to preach against violence against women and girls. The church has a moral duty to teach what the bible says about gender equity, respect for women and girls, and God’s plan for the home. The best way to “preach” this to the community is “live” it. Pastors, church leaders and members should love and honour their wives in such a way that non-believers will begin take note. But when violence against women is practiced in the homes of Christians, we have lost the plot!
Domestic violence does not always end when the victim escapes the abuser. Often, it intensifies because the abuser feels a loss of control over the victim.
One church circuit in the Southern Highland has decided to do something about it. On Thursday Oct 31, the women of Upper Mendi, including female teachers at a nearby primary school, dressed in black as a sign of mourning and marched solemnly through their community of Pongol and Wongia. They stopped at market places along the way where they gave speeches decrying violence against women. When they reached their place of ministry, they attracted quite a large audience. Sermons and drama depicting violence in the home were presented by the women. The minister, Rev Komuna, said the message was well-received by the people, especially the men, who were challenged to change the way they treated their wives. Because of its success, the programme for next year will include inviting other churches to participate. “Our society needs a combined effort from churches to stand together against this big problem,” he said. Finally, God’s word is above culture. Let us rise above cultural teachings that are wrong, and start to live as the Bible says. We must show respect for the women in our lives – our mothers, sisters, daughters and our wives! Only then will PNG move forward as a blessed nation under God!
Posted on The National INMATES at Bomana Prison in National Capital District are keenly looking forward to share their experiences in book form through what is known as the Prison Writers Workshop. A duo testified during the National Book Fair held at the National Library in Waigani last week that they would love to tell write about prison life like their colleagues at Buimo in Morobe and Kerevat in East New Britain had done already. Dandan Tom from Waima Village in Milne Bay spoke about how reading and writing had liberated him while he was confined within four walls of a prison cell. “I’m in prison but my reading has taken me out of prison to places all over the world,” Tom told attendees of the book fair. For the past 20 years of a life sentence served in Giligili Prison in Milne Bay and Bomana, reading had taken him to fast-paced American cities, the expansive plains of the Africa continent and many other places in between. Tom is a self-professed bookworm. “I’ve read all of John Grisham and Wilbur Smith’s novels as well as other reading material in the prison library that caught my interest. Reading has freed my mind from stress and has given me much knowledge of the outside world.” He not only reads but writes as well. “I’m halfway through writing my own story using a computer in the prison library. Writing also releases stress and gives me ideas and broadens my mind. I’m also a song writer. “Why can’t Bomana do the same as Buimo and Kerevat? We need people to mentor prisoners to write their stories and publish them.” Fellow prisoner Paul Joe, who is also serving a life sentence, testified that he was illiterated when he entered jail but through a literacy programme, he was able to read. “I now read the Bible which gives me hope in the prison,” he said. The two were among a group of inmates let out to join students and a number of writers/publishers at the National Book Fair. They spoke of their eagerness and desire to read books which has helped them escape the drudgery of prison life. Organisers of the book fair had invited the prison management to take the prisoners on leave of absence to be part of the event. Professor Steven Winduo of the University of PNG who has been a part of the Prison Writers Workshop and assisted in publishing the work of the Buimo and Kerevat inmates, took note of the Bomana inmates’ testimonies. Inspector Eko Mangere, officer in charge of rehabilitation, parole and juvenile justice at the Correctional Service headquarters, said the department would like to see more inmates involved in literacy programmes as part of the rehabilitation process. Poet and children’s book author Caroline Evari, who made a presentation at the National Book Fair, called for more Papua New Guineans to write to promote the country and also to help preserve cultures and languages that could be lost for good otherwise. Evari said writing about different aspects of the country would helpd to cure the “disease of a single story.” She explained that there were stereotypes because not much literature was out there for the rest of the world to read and understand PNG better. Prison writers like Tom have been invited to be part of the book fair again next year.
WITH the invention of paper and printing on its account, China was almost destined to produce the first paper money. The first paper money was invented in the ninth century and was made by the Tang Dynasty so that wealthy merchants would not have to carry large amounts of heavy copper coins. It was called ‘flying money’ in those time because it was so light it could blow out of one’s hand. The paper money was made as an offshoot of the invention of block printing. The first paper money was a draft rather than real money. Original paper money like the today’s deposit receipts with the amount of total money available to the merchant written on them. During that time, in order for merchant to exchange for cash in the provinces they deposit their cash in the capital and received a paper certificate called an exchange certificate. In this way paper money was quickly adopted by the government for forwarding tax payments. The first people to use a checking system were Muslim bankers in the 1200s, followed by Italian bankers in the 1400s. The first Western money was issued in Sweden in 1661 followed by America in 1690, France in 1720, England in 1797, and Germany in 1806. The paper money is seen as the most common form of currency around the world today.
A PNG tourist meeting Chinese youths.
One of the greatest Chinese inventions of the medieval world was the mechanical clock. It was invented by the Buddhist monk, court astronomer, mathematician and engineer Yi Xing in 725 AD during the Tang Dynasty. Xing called it “Water Driven Spherical Birds Eye View Map of The Heavens” to keep track of celestial activity but unfortunately lasted only a few years before the water in the mechanism caused the metal to corrode. Without causing metal to corrode, later clocks used mercury with iron and bronze mechanisms. Hundreds of years later, an astronomer and mechanist of the Song Dynasty Su Song developed a more sophisticated clock called the Cosmic Empire in 1092. The first mechanical clock was developed in Europe two centuries earlier, but they did not have the escapement mechanism that is characteristic of mechanical clocks. The compass was probably invented in between 221 BC and 206 BC during the Qin Dynasty by Chinese fortune-tellers who used lodestones to construct their fortune telling boards. During the Han Dynasty, they used this knowledge to create a direction finder device which resembles a spoon and when it is placed on a plate on the ground, the handle points to the south. It was first used in determining direction for the layout of buildings. During the Song Dynasty, they come up with magnetised needles replacing the loadstone and it became very important to map makers and for the navigational devices on ships. The first person recorded as using a compass for navigation was Zheng He from Yunnan Province, who made seven ocean voyages between 1405 and 1433. Around 960AD, Arab traders sailing to China probably learned of the Chinese method of sailing by compass and returned to Europe with the invention in 1127. Before those times, the compass had opened up the oceans for exploration and led to the discovery of the New World by using the sun, moon and the pole star to give a constant bearing and made navigation safer. The world’s first toothbrush is thought to have been created in China. For thousands of years ago, Chinese found different tools to keep their gums and teeth clean, their teeth white and their breath fresh. They came up with water and rough cloth to clean their teeth and also rubbed things like chalk and salt across their teeth to try to get rid of grime. For mouth freshener, they used chewing twigs culled from aromatic trees and also sharpened at one end to use as a toothpick. However, in 1498, the Chinese invented the bristle toothbrush, similar to the type used today. The bristles toothbrush was invented during the Tang Dynasty and was most likely made from coarse hairs taken from the back of a hog’s neck and attached to handles made of bone or bamboo. The first people to use the instrument to clean the teeth were Northern Chinese monks. The use of tooth brushes then spread to Europe by travelers and was adopted in Europe during the 17th century. The Chinese-invented toothbrush might not be as interesting as paper or gunpowder but it is something that everybody uses every single day.
James Tawila Wagiebu (12.1.1958 – 20.9.2019)The Wagiebu children – Noel, Penny and Mali.
By BETTY GABRIEL WAKIA - The National
HELA has lost one of its most dedicated, committed, and humble public servants in James Tawila Wagiebu who was the most qualified Papua New Guinean echo-cardiographer also known as an echo tech or heart technician.
Echocardiography is a term mostly used by doctors or nurses who study an ultrasound of the human heart which shows the size and shape of the heart and how well the heart’s chambers and valves work by using the echocardiogram machine. The late James Wagiebu was the only qualified Papua New Guinean who knows how to use the machine. Most Papua New Guineans who had gone to Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) to check up on their heart or students who had been to University of Papua New Guinea Medical School (UPNG) might see or know a bit about Wagiebu. He was the only practicing echocardiography (ECG) technician in the country with Sir Budi Kidu Heart Institute of the PMGH who serves thousands of Papua New Guineans. He also served hundreds of UPNG students by taking part in teaching basic echo and ECG to fourth year medical students and post graduates nursing students, and also assists doctors with research studies for postgraduate masters and undergraduate medical students for BMS. Wagiebu comes from the Pari clan of the Pandu village in the South Koroba district of Hela. He was a pioneer in education from his village to become the first Papua New Guinean echo technician. All his families and relatives did not know what he did or what his work was all about until hearing from Prof Sir Kevau during the funeral service. It was a huge surprise to his families, tribes and Hela communities when the late Wagiebu’s colleague and family friend Prof Sir Isi Kevau announced at his funeral that Wagiebu was the only echo technician in the country. He has been outspoken about the importance of echocardiography and talking to the Health Department to train Papua New Guineans to take up echocardiography but that had never eventuated until his sudden passing on Sept 20 this year, which has affected the operation of the ECG room at PMGH to a sudden stop. The ECG room at PMGH was shut down for a couple of weeks now whilst searching for someone from overseas to replace him.
Ruben Mari, James Wagiebu and Ken Kama – “The Three Musketeers” – in a UPNG Medical Faculty laboratory in 1989.
James Wagiebu’s education was influenced by his late mother Wagubi Katia, a village woman who had no knowledge of what education was, fought her way for her son to be enrolled at Koroba Community School in 1966 to 1972 and he went onto do grade seven to 10 at Tari High School in 1973 to 1976. In 1977 to 1980 he attended Mt Hagen School of Nursing and in 1981 he went onto do matriculation studies at UPNG. He and two others, Ruben Mari from Wanigela and Ken Kama from Samarai were the pioneers in the field of health science who called themselves ‘The Three Musketeers’. In 1992, late Wagiebu was the first Papua New Guinean to study echocardiography at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia followed by Ruben Mari who became the second Papua New Guinean and Ken Kama went onto study medical technology at London Biomedical Institute of Technology in United Kingdom. These faithful and humble men from Papua who were committed to their profession -‘The Three Musketeers’ – have quietly been serving the eight million-plus people of Papua New Guinea. The late James Wagiebu is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. He was laid to rest on Wednesday, Oct 23, 2019
Prime Minister James Marape and Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources Dr Lino Tom with two of Daniel’s books a few days before Marape was elected. Behind them is Peter Mission.Betty Wakia, Daniel Kumbon and Caroline Evari met in September to decide to write to Prime Minister James Marape.
By DANIEL KUMBON - The National
IF ANYBODY close to the prime minister reads this and if you think it is important, please mention it to James Marape that a letter on behalf of PNG’s writers, authors and publishers sits waiting in his office. The letter is from three representatives – Caroline Evari, Betty Wakia and myself Daniel Kumbon. We requested the prime minister to make time available so we can present a petition signed by some 300 PNG authors, publishers and supporters from around the world. We are seeking government support for a sustainable home grown literature in the country. We strongly feel that our work has never been recognised by the Government and decided to present the petition to our new prime minister. I wrote the letter in late September and hand-delivered it at the front desk of the Sir Manasupe House on Oct 1. When I followed it up for the third time on Thursday, Oct 24, we were asked to wait another three weeks because it was still pending. We will continue to wait patiently because we know that the prime minister is very busy with more pressing issues. The Gordon police shootings, the Rainbow police shooting, the Tari shooting of a police sergeant from Chimbu and the subsequent closure of the highlands highway by grieving relatives, the recent parliament sitting, the Paladin saga, the Ramu Nico slurry spill, etc, all require immediate attention. However, Marape has been able to find time to address journalists from the mainstream media. And he recently attended the PNG Fashion Week grand finale at Apec Haus. So we remain optimistic he will also be fair with us writers, authors and publishers. I flew down from Wabag in Enga province to join my colleagues to see him. We will still wait patiently for the next three weeks as advised by the prime minister’s support staff. But we have decided to publish the letter hoping to attract James Marape’s attention and maybe he’ll decide to see us. We fear the letter might not be brought to his notice even in the next three weeks we’ve been asked to wait. Here then is the letter…. . .
Dear Prime Minister, I am writing to you on behalf of myself and four colleague writers requesting to see you in your office. We wish to present a petition to seek support from the government for a sustainable home grown literature in Papua New Guinea. We, Papua New Guinean writers and authors believe our nation’s literature is something that needs to be encouraged and supported by everyone, but especially by the government. Without a home-grown literature the story of our great nation cannot be told. We strongly believe that if our story is not told, future generations of Papua New Guineans will not be fully aware of where they come from, who they are and what made them. We will be happy to answer any of your questions if you can spare us a little time to present the petition to you. I thank you for taking time to read our request. We are dedicated writers and citizens of our country, and trust that you will give us the chance to present our case to you. Most respectfully,
Daniel Kumbon Author
And here are some paragraphs from the petition we wish to present to the prime minister We, the writers of Papua New Guinea are currently struggling to tell our nation’s story. There are no major publishers in Papua New Guinea interested in publishing our work. If we want to publish our books, we have to pay for that ourselves. Our books are not available in schools. The students of Papua New Guinea cannot read books written by their own countrymen and women. Instead, they have to read books written by writers from other countries. Papua New Guinea has a poorly resourced public library system. Few of our own books are available in these libraries. In most cases Papua New Guinean authors have to donate books free of charge to libraries so people can read them. Our national literary award, the Crocodile Prize, is struggling to survive. It is supported by limited private funding. The Papua New Guinean government has never shown real interest in supporting it. Nor has the government shown an interest in supporting Papua New Guinean writers. It is time this situation changed. We, the undersigned writers of Papua New Guinea, together with our readers and supporters, are calling upon our Prime Minister, James Marape, to commit his government and future governments to providing the support our writers, our literature and our nation deserve. It is time to secure the story of Papua New Guinea for present and future generations. To do less is unthinkable.
