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Wari admits no church rep on NCDC board
By HARLYNE JOKU
NCDC Governor Wari Vele admitted yesterday churches were not represented
on the NCDC Board under the recently passed NCDC Amendment Bill of 2006.
Mr Vele said there was nothing he could do about it and it was up to
Parliament to change the law.
Yesterday, Ombudsman Peter Masi confirmed that a letter was served on Mr
Vele advising him of the flaws in the NCDC Amendment Act making it
unconstitutional and inoperable.
When the National asked Mr Vele if he had received the letter, he said;
“No I am not aware of this, I don’t know.”
Asked if he was concerned that the Ombudsman Commission may take the
matter to the Supreme Court, he responded; “It is up to them to take it
to court.”
Mr Vele was briefly interviewed by The National while attending a
meeting organised by his office with NCD pastors from small sects such
as Christian Outreach Centre, Servant Heart Ministry, Church of Christ
and others.
Most of the pastors who attended the forum supported Mr Vele as “the man
chosen by God to save the oppressed of NCD”.
They surrounded him and prayed that he would remain in power.
The pastors openly criticised the opposition to the NCDC Act by the
Catholic Church and Archbishop Sir Brian Barnes, and the petition
circulated to rescind the changes to the NCDC Act.
A private citizen and former adviser to the late Bill Skate Susuve
Laumaea told the forum that the campaign against the NCDC Amendment Act
was engineered by the Moresby North West MP Sir Mekere Morauta and
Moresby South MP Dame Carol Kidu, who both had been displaced under the
Amendment Act.
Mr Laumaea said the certified Act clearly states the responsibilities of
Mr Vele.
He said the campaign by Transparency International, the Catholic Church
and Community Coalition against Corruption were misinforming the public.
He said they were spreading propaganda based on half truths and lies to
discredit Mr Vele.
The Catholic Church in the past two weeks have supported the campaign
against the implications of the new Act saying that churches are not on
the board and that the new law gives absolute powers to the governor to
control NCDC funds and to hire and fire staff.
The Ombudsman Commission also warned last Friday that it will not
hesitate to seek a Supreme Court interpretation of the Act if Parliament
fails to rescind it.
 
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