Why I walked out of Parliament on Friday - East Sepik Governor Allan Bird

By East Sepik - Governor Allan Bird

Tuesday 17th November 2020

Whenever something I consider wrong is happening on the floor of the Parliament, I will walk out in protest.

The Parliament is designed based on a sacred Abelam construct. I am an Abelam elder and I will not stand by when members deliberately abuse their privileges on the floor disrespecting my culture.

I have walked out of Parliament 3 times in protest so far. The first time was when Hon Kramer was referred to the Privileges Committee. I felt that was wrong. The second time was when Hon Yama was arguing on his personal interest against Hon Kramer. I asked the Speaker to send him out. When he did not, I walked out.

Friday last week I walked out for the 3rd time. As soon as I realized after Hon Paita raised a point of order that the Deputy Speaker was in collusion and the Law was about to be broken, I walked out in protest.

In 2011, when the Constitution was abused by MPs, I spoke up for the Constitution and the Rule of Law.

To me the Constitution is a sacred place, not to be trifled with or treated with contempt and disdain. I am not perfect but I will maintain my respect for our sacred places. It is something central to Abelam culture.

In my hausman we are told "Ples tambu, em ples tambu, yu nonap katim diwai, kisim saksak or Kanda long em. Yu nonap lo painim abus tu long hap. Tambu tru"

It is not ours to question why the laws are there it is only ours to obey. So any time anyone breaks the rules to pursue an interest I will not be party to it. You have lost me the minute you do that.

To my mind, anyone who is willing to break the law at one point will continue to break the law if it suits him. It's a principle, once you break into a sacred place, you never stop.

A pig who learns to break a fence and raid the garden will never stop doing it.

Why I walked out of Parliament on Friday - East Sepik Governor Allan Bird

The Porgera Gold Story - Enga's heartbeat

Sam Yockopua

16th July 2020

Stars align in a thousand years. Lightning does not strike the same place twice. And miracles do happen. You will drive through the red light 9 out of 10 times, but that 10th time, you will get it, you will regret why you took risks all the time when others waited for their turns to go.

Just like how criminals & terrorists forcefully blindfold, disable, torture and ridicule their victims in their own safe premises, Porgerans have become the living testament to the loot of their blessed land for 30 years. You don't need to go further than a few meters walk out of the gold mine gate to Yokolama, Kulapi, Pandadaka, Anawe, Yarik, or Apalaka and you for yourself how these SML landowners have lived and continue to squatter in slums and ghettos.

LATE MALIPU BALAKAU'S VISION ON THE PORGERA GOLD MINE DEVELOPMENT / SCANDALOUS MINING CONTRACT FIASCO

Elwyn Pupang Pilyo

May 23 at 1:20 PM

The Porgera Mining Contract of ‘89’ was significantly altered, devoid of the aspirations of then Enga Regional MP, late Hon. Malipu Balakau. The final paper excluded clauses that had been vigorously pushed for by Hon. M Balakau during the forums with the State and Joint Venture Partners months earlier. Had this visionary leader’s radical and nationalistic agenda been captured in the final draft, the course of history, including the socio-economic landscapes, of both Enga Province and PNG, been without doubt positively different.

After his election victory in ‘87’ late Hon. M Balakau set out to do exactly what he had promised his voters during his campaign. He was determined to underpin his dream for Enga’s radical advancement at the back of EPG’s greater participation in developing the gold discovered at Porgera, and therefrom, launch his pitch to be the first PM from Enga Province.

His famed speech ‘to reverse the wind that is blowing’ fanned the hopes of a predominately illiterate but prideful and headstrong people. Though new comers to the outside world the Engan men’s ideals and beliefs of greatness were deeply entrenched in the dynamic and complex cultural setting that had been passed on untainted from a far but traceable past.

AN IPILI STORY

Fraser Liu

April 26 at 2:53 PM

I am one of 24 brothers and sisters. We own a large piece of land, which has an abundant natural occurrence of a mineral. One day someone came and told us that the minerals under our land are valuable and that we can be rich beyond our wildest dreams. His name was Mr Developer. He sold us tales and promises of wonder, we could not resist.

He came with a familiar looking neighbor who knew my language, and another bloke who told me that he was Mr. Government and that we had a duty to listen to him because despite us owning our own land; anything below six feet belonged to him. This was all very confusing to my family and I, but they looked much wiser and smarter than us, so we listened.

They introduced us to Mr Lawyer, who wrote up a paper called a Special Mining Lease. Mr Lawyer said that this paper was the agreement between ourselves, Mr Developer, and Mr Government. We asked him what the details of the agreement were.

The Longest 5 Seconds in PNG

By Linston Henol Tinemau

February 1, 2019

A feel good story was retold by my small Dad John Mawe (JM) yesterday and I wanted to share. It was the longest 5 seconds of Papua New Guinea!

Flashback 1983 and the PNG Kumuls were up against the French Roosters in an historic International Test Match at Port Moresby Lloyd Robson Oval (PRL) following the 1979 first successful Kumul Europe Tour.

JM was a young student at AdCol and mind you, gate fee was a problem for the sumatins at that time so any available high elevation where you could struggle (of course at your own risks) to catch a glimpse of the rugby league action was worth it all. (You will be fighting against nature and the police! 😂). A light pole was his front row seat & his muscles & body could curse him later for the torture but his big brother, David Tinemau was the captain leading the Kumul assault against the might of the French Rooster.

PRL was packed to the brim and Sir Iambakey Okuk smashed any willing stomach with their favorite San Miguel or SP inside PRL Clubhouse. The scene was settling for a great showdown.

Old Tinemau (Papa Wagi) had flown in from Kundiawa to watch his fav. son play. So you'd know who the biggest volume was in the crowded stands when his son got hit in a tackle or made a tackle (it was something like, Easy ya ba yu indai ya! ...or...killim em! but all in his native Tabare-Sine dialect. 😂). From his strategic location, JM spotted the old man out of the crowd with his trademark cowboy hat.

The Kumuls gave as they got and the game went down to the wire. Bodies were sent out on stretchers; bloodied and bruised warriors traded tit-for-tat and the last men standing held the hopes of a recently independent Third World Nation of 800 languages against a European Superpower as the game closed to the dying stages. 10 seconds before full-time and a penalty was awarded the Kumuls right on halfway; scores were 13-11 in favor of the Frenchmen. The two choice kickers for Kumuls were Paulus Akis, Dad's trusted ace winger from Enga and club playmate from Hagen Brothers or Paul Kombinari, the stellar warrior from Bundi who grew up with Dad playing rugby from primary school to the Kumuls jumper in Goroka. During the anticipation on who should kick was being discussed, the full-time hooter sounded in the background, silence gripped PRL as if nature had pressed a mute button on PRL. JM recalled for the first time hearing the sound of his own sweat dropping. Dad overlooked his clubmate & gave his brother from Bundi the ball. He only said, "Bro, you're kicking for the PNG flag!" and turned his back.

Those 5 Seconds were the longest 5 seconds in PNG! Conversion kickers those days were not fancy sideways hookers or put much antics for a show kind of types, they simply lined up the ball, reversed back, then booted the ball with all their might! Paul Kombinari was old school. The crowd and a nation held their breath when Paul charged towards the ball to let loose the weight pressed on him by the entire nation. The ball twirled up like a torpedo and sailed, and sailed; sailed in slow motion across the 40m, 20m, 10m...hit the right side of the post, sailed back down, landed on the crossbar and went over to give the first international draw with French Roosters in a 13-13 all scores locked!

JM recalled: who said there was a fence in front; people ran through and over it like it was plastic. Sir Okuk shut PRL down and the nation went ballistic! A pretty young Tolai lass singled out Papa Wagi & escorted him to his son with JM, when at last, JM had his proud moment to toast a beer with his big brother in the Kumuls hotel camp.

These stories are not in mainstream media or Google; they only live in people's hearts and minds. From JM's own mouth, it brought tears to my eyes but smiles on my face. The longest 5 seconds in PNG!