Lohia appointed VC
FORMER high commissioner to Australia Renagi Lohia has been appointed vice-chancellor of the Jubilee University, replacing Prof John Oliga. At a simple handover ceremony at the university in Port Moresby, Mr Lohia urged students to use their wealth of knowledge for the betterment of the country. Chancellor Thaddeus Kambanei said the Assembly of God church had been involved in human resource development for the last 50 years and it was glad that it could assist the Government in providing tertiary education for the people. “Jubilee University had gone through a lot of challenges and has had its share of problems in endeavouring to deliver quality education in Papua New Guinea,” he added.

President’s post in dispute
TWO councillors from South Wiru local level government in Pangia district, Southern Highlands, are claiming to be presidents of the authority. Eric Yondi was claiming that he was elected unopposed as the new president after a no-confidence vote against Wambi Nondi at Tunda last April 14. He claimed this came about after Mr Nondi was arrested by police for some criminal offences. He also claimed that Mr Nondi had failed to hold a meeting of the LLG for the past three years. Mr Yondi said Mr Nondi’s reappointment by Southern Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru this year had confused the people and leaders.

Students mark Teachers’ Day
STUDENTS attending Avi Nazarene Primary School in the Anglimp district, Western Highlands province, organised many different activities to show their appreciation to their teachers on the International Teachers’ Day recently. The 640 students from Grades 3 to 8 performed creative dances, drama, read poems and prepared lunch for their teachers. Student representative council president Stanley Kop said the purpose of organising the event was to say thank you to the teachers for sacrificing their lives to develop human resource in this country and also globally.

Court clears Orimiyo
THE Waigani National Court has dismissed an election petition against Henganofi MP Ferao Orimiyo by an unsuccessful candidate. Justice Mark Sevua, who heard the matter last Monday, agreed with Mr Orimiyo’s counsel that the petition was defective and ordered Robert Atiyafa to pay costs. David Lora had argued that the petition did not name Mr Orimiyo as a respondent or defendant. “It was also not addressed to the National Court as required by the Organic Law on elections.”

AGWU set to hold elections
THE Amalgamated General Workers’ Union is holding elections for office-bearers for the new two-year term. Nominations opened last Monday and will close on Nov 16. Voting by post, however, will remain open until Dec 31 and results will be announced next Jan 15. General-secretary Andrew Kandakasi said the Office of the Industrial Registrar had approved the elections and Paul Wartovo of the Labour Department would be the returning officer.

TVET institutions hold show
TECHNICAL vocational education training (TVET) institutions in East New Britain came together to display their products and skills to the public during a two-day TVET show held in Kokopo recently. The students to displayed what they learnt from those institutions and also for the public to purchase some of the products at cheaper prices.

Kundiawa-Gembogl MP praises judiciary
MEMBER for Kundiawa Gembogl Joe Mek Teine has praised the judiciary for expediting election petition cases after his court challenge was dismissed by the National Court yesterday.
The National Party leader and chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Review and Law Reform told a media conference that election petitions have affected delivery of services in the past.
Mr Teine said he was happy with the new Court Rules for election petitions to be dealt with in the shortest possible time.
He said it took only six weeks for the court to make its decision to dismiss the election petition.
“I would like to inform my people that the National Court has dismissed the election petition filed against me. I am relieved and will now concentrate on delivering services to my people.
“I thank the judicial system for expediting the petition because over the years it was a lengthy process where the leaders are held in limbo,” he said.
Mr Teine also praised the government for the Supplementary Budget aimed at the rural people.

Starfish sets up new office in PNG
CONSUMER research company Starfish Research has opened a regional office in Port Moresby for its South Pacific operations.
Chief executive officer Nicholas Cameron said the company had been operating in the Pacific since 2001 and PNG, with a population of just under six million, was the natural location for its Pacific operations.
He said the road of the market researcher in these areas was unique.
“One day they could be taking a canoe to a remote village and the other interviewing respondents in the shadow of a live volcano. It is truly a fascinating part of the world that few people ever see,” Cameron said.

Internet link for rural areas, remote islands
PEOPLE living in remote islands and rural areas of the Pacific will soon be able to connect to the internet via a new, low-cost, satellite-based system called Pacific RICS (rural interconnectivity system).
The system was officially launched during the 38th Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, last week by Greg Urwin, secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and Dr Jimmie Rodgers, director-general of the secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).
A management contract for implementing Pacific RICS was recently signed between a private Australian-based company, Pacific Teleports Pty Ltd, and SPC.
Dr Rodgers, a strong advocate of the technology, said: “Pacific RICS can provide cheaper, faster, and reliable internet connectivity to any rural and remote area in the region.
“Sixteen pilot sites in nine countries will be installed over the next year these pilot sites will show that the technology was sufficiently useful to generate user-pays demand for additional sites – in fact, we’ve already had requests for additional sites,” Dr Rogers said.

Chinese national fined, ordered to leave
A CHINESE national has been ordered by the Mt Hagen District Court to pay a K5,000 fine and leave the country after he pleaded guilty to staying in the country illegally.
Shen Shi Ming, of Fujian province, will have to spend six months in jail if he fails to pay the fine.
He was detained together with another Chinese national Quan He Fu, after they tried to bail out two other Chinese men who had been detained for the same offence.
Quan has denied the charge and will be tried on Friday.
Both men have also been charged with attempted bribery and are to appear in court on Nov 29.

Guards beat up senior lecturer
A SENIOR lecturer was beaten by security guards at the University of Technology where a curfew was imposed last Friday following a fight among students.
The lecturer told The National that he was unaware of the curfew when he returned to the Taraka campus from town last Friday evening.
“The security guards know that I am a staff member and live here and I was coming home,” he said.
The lecturer said he had reported the matter to the police.
It is understood that guards also beat up another man believed to be the husband of a lecturer at the same time.
Last Saturday, two groups of students exchanged two cows and four pigs in a peace ceremony following a fight last week in which three students were injured.
A female student, however, claimed that there was another fight last Friday.
“We also heard some shooting,” she told The National.
Asked how anyone could have taken guns or other dangerous weapons into the campus, she said: “It’s easy. We’re lucky no one was killed.”

Kokopo hosts workshop
THE Department of Commerce and Industry is hosting its 5th weeklong annual national provincial commerce advisers’ workshop in Kokopo, East New Britain, starting today.
Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare is expected to officially open the workshop which will be attended by provincial and national dignitaries including the private sector, NGOs and donor agencies.
Department Secretary Anton Kulit said the workshop was an annual programme to establish a proper and effective network between the department and provincial commerce divisions for effective and efficient dissemination and implementation of core Government policies and strategies at the provincial and district levels.
He said it was a perfect avenue for the department, Government institutions and the province sectors, donor agencies and stakeholders to discuss issues of common interest.

OISCA leader visits ENB
THE president of Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement International (OISCA) arrived yesterday in East New Britain from Japan with a delegation of 15 members.
The delegation was met by chairman of OISCA Rabaul branch Sinai Brown and members of the board of directors at the Tokua airport.
OISCA president Dr Yoshiko Y. Nikano and her delegation will be in the province for about a week to witness the 20th anniversary celebrations of OISCA Rabaul on Wednesday.
While in the province, the delegation will witness the official launch of ENB provincial tree planting “Love green day” tomorrow.
They will also witness the signing of the memorandum of agreement for soil erosion programme between the provincial government and OISCA at the Kokopo Eco Wild Life Park located at Vunapope beachfront.
ENB Governor Leo Dion will officially welcome Dr Nikano and her delegation to the province today.
The delegation is expected to visit historical sites in the province such as the Japanese monument in Rabaul, Japanese tunnels and others.

Hagen Central district hit by hailstorm
By SENT TIMBI
FIVE council wards of Jika tribe in the Hagen Central district, Western Highlands province, were hit by hailstorm last Thursday afternoon.
The hailstorm destroyed food crops and coffee gardens belonging to Jika Opromb, Komapi, Mulgmana, Komb and Aklimb council wards.
The strong wind also uprooted trees which blocked the road between Mt Hagen and Baiyer.
A community leader and farmer David Wama of the Jika Opromb council ward said that this was the first time such a hailstorm struck the village.
He said that hailstorm had hit the five council wards for more than an hour.