Court to rule on Dusava election petition
By GABRIEL FITO
A ruling on competency for an election petition filed against East Sepik Governor Peter Wararu will be handed down by the National Court in Wewak tomorrow.
The petition was filed by the runner-up for his Yangoru-Saussia electorate Gabriel Dusava who accused the Governor of bribing people to vote for him during the recent general election.
While making his submission on the objection of competency, the counsel for Wararu submitted that all five allegations of bribery levelled against his client be dismissed by the court as they lacked material facts that form the bases of bribery.
The counsel said even though the facts stated that money was given out to individuals and groups it failed to state whether or not these people were voters and that they have voted for his client in the 2007 national election.
However, Mr Dusava’s lawyer argued that there were no confusing allegations in the petition as what it contained were all sufficient and relevant facts.
He submitted that the objection be dismissed by the court so that witnesses for the petitioner would be called to give evidences to support the allegation.
Justice Manuhu will hand down a ruling at 1.30 pm tomorrow.

Arapa withdraws petition against Agiru
THE Governor of Southern Highlands province is now free to move around and concentrate on his job.
The contempt of court preceedings against Governor Anderson Pawa Agiru before the Mt Hagen National Court was withdrawn last week.
It was filed by Ailo Arapa, Council President for Avi/Pori local level government after he was not recognised by Mr Agiru as president and member of the Southern Highlands provincial assembly.
Justice Ambeng Kandakasi last April 20, recognised Mr Arapa as the duly elected council president for Avi/Pori LLG but Mr Agiru had recognised other presidents as the members of the provincial assembly.
Mr Arapa’s counsel Danny Gonol from Paulus Dowa Lawyers yesterday said his client was overlooked.
He said last week Mr Agiru recognised him as president with all the powers of the president and Mr Arapa would remain in office for the few remaining weeks before the new council election.
Counsel for Agiru, Mr Jerry Kewai and Mr Gonol agreed last week to withdraw the contempt of court proceedings and this was endorsed by acting judge Colin Makail at the Mt Hagen national court.
Mr Gonol said that the cost of the proceedings would be meet by Governor Agiru.

School head complains of vandalism
HEADMASTER of the now closed Moitaka Primary School has come to the media to raise his concerns over vandalism on school property.
The school had closed last month due to land disputes.
A total of 800 students have been re-located to other primary schools within the nation’s capital including New Erima Primary, Eve Dahana (Nine Mile), Bomana Primary, Morata Primary, Holy Rosary (Six Mile), St Peters, Eki Vaki and other schools.
Headmaster Neil Opal said they had shifted some of the school desks and text books to different schools where the students had been re-located.
The office equipment which included computers and a photocopying machine were about to be shifted, when the school building was vandalised last week and the equipment stolen.
Mr Opal said: “We do not know who is responsible for this.”
However, he said further investigations into the matter are being held.
Mr Opal expressed concern, saying that it was not good when they (teachers) were trying their best to re-locate things for the sake of the students and these things happened.
He added that he had seen some of the office chairs being used at a nearby market which was proof of vandalism.

Health centre facelifted
THREE villages in the Hood Lagoon area of Central province now have access to a newly renovated health centre, thanks to Child Fund (PNG) Ltd, a non-government organisation.
Child Fund which did renovation work costing about K80,000 officially opened the centre last Friday at Keapara village in Rigo district.
Central province Governor Alphonse Moroi and Rigo Open MP Ano Pala were present .
The health facility will benefit Keapara, Alukuni and Karawa villages which have a combined population of more than 5,000.
Previously, the centre was funded by the National Department of Finance, but due to funding problem, it was left uncompleted.

Nets for health
A TEAM of health workers from the Central provincial government is now distributing mosquito nets in the Kairuku, Hiri and Rigo districts in a drive to reduce deaths caused by malaria.
Global Fund donated 364,000 mosquito nets and assisted with K464,000 for the distribution programme.

ENB goes to LLG elections
THE provincial electoral office in East New Britain has already submitted its budget and begun preparations for the local level government (LLG) elections.
Provincial election manager Abraham Wari said the office had submitted its K1 million budget to the Electoral Commission and had distributed enrolment forms to all LLG centres for people who had not enrolled in the national elections and those turning 18 years of age after the elections..
Mr Wari said training of assistant returning officers and polling officers is expected to begin this month.

BAT boosts ecology project
By ELIZABETH VUVU
THE way forward for Papua New Guinea lies on good partnership among the private sector, non-government organisations (NGO) and the Government.
With this in mind, the British American Tobacco (PNG) Ltd (BAT) has set a milestone in this regard in the New Guinea Islands by forming a partnership with Kokopo/Vunamami urban local level government area, Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement in Rabaul in developing the eco park wild life and recreation project.
Last Friday in Kokopo, BAT donated K150,000 for the project’s development.
Once completed, the project would raise awareness in the community on global warming, rise in sea levels and the importance of conservation and biodiversity.

Manus Uni-centre to re-open
THE University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) last Tuesday with the provincial government to re-open its university centre that was closed seven years ago. The signatories were UPNG Vice-Chancellor Professor Ross Hynes and Manus Governor Michael Sapau. Mr Sapau said this year, the provincial government allocated K80,000 from its budget to cater for the centre’s expenses. Prof Hynes said the re-opening would pave way for people in Manus to further pursue their education and create opportunities for young people to excel in their studies.

Tourism has big potential
THE potential for tourism to become the country’s biggest income-earner is there, but it will not be generic tourism. Tourism PNG in its national tourism plan for 2007-2012 has undertaken several projects which it hope would sell the products that PNG market has to offer. Tourism Promotion Authoritys (TPA) chief executive officer Peter Vincent said TPA is targeting the special-interest tourists and the bird-watchers who travel up the Fly River and the kayakers and cyclists who travel to New Ireland. “We are targeting those people and at the same time are undertaking several projects we hope can help us sell our products,” he said.

Relatives plan escapes: CS
A NUMBER of prison breakouts in the country have been planned by relatives of the prisoners and warders, according to Correctional Services Minister Tony Aimo. Jail officers throughout the country revealed that a number of jail breakouts in recent years had taken place because duty officers accepted money from prisoners or their relatives to allow the jailbreak. The country’s tough economic situation, coupled with administrative neglect and low-staff morale, have forced officers to resort to other means, lately getting money from prisoners or their relatives.

Appointment welcomed
A COMMUNITY leader in the National Capital District has congratulated the National Executive Council for appointing Joseph Lelang as the new secretary for National Planning and Implementation. Philip Takore, a former District Court magistrate who turned to be an aspiring politician, said Mr Lelang is a young man with energy, aptitude, necessary experience and qualification to steer the course of the Government’s development plans in his new role. He said country’s development agendas would be given priority.