A pat on the back for loyal servant Matthew

By BOURA GORUKILA
WHEN he saw his name on the 2020 Honour’s List, Matthew Makora gave himself a pat on the back.
Well, figuratively at least.
“My hard work has truly paid off.”
The 45-year-old from Gulogolo village in Rigo, Central, will receive the Meritorious Public Service Medal. The actual ceremony at Government House will be held later but for now he is happy.
He dedicates his award to his loyalty and dedication to his work with the Department of Justice and Attorney-General over the past 30 years.
“It is a privilege and honour to be chosen to get an award and I am so thankful to Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika for recognising my efforts and nominating me to be a recipient of the award.”
He hails from the Tubu Rubu and Magula Rubu clans of Mukunarouka village, Mt Brown constituency, Rigo Inland, Central.
He is the sixth eldest in a family of seven – four girls and three boys.
He himself now has six children – three boys and three girls – and four grandchildren with spouse Verginia Makora Lagele who is self-employed. She is from the same village. They adopted three more children to join their family. Matthew has been serving as the associate judge to Justice Royale Thompson since 2018.
Before that, he served as the associate judge to Justice Polume Kiele from 2016 and 2017.

“ My hard work has truly paid off.”

And before that, he served in the same role for the late Justice Catherine Davani from 2010 to 2015.
He began his education at St Francis Xavier in Rigo doing grades one to six from 1979 to 1984.
He completed grades seven to 10 at Della Salle at Mainohana. He could not continue further.
“I was selected to (attend) Madang Technical College but my mum didn’t have the finance to send me to school.”
He went looking for a job. He joined the South Pacific Brewery, undergoing training for a boiler certificate for six months in 1989. He was offered a job after the training but declined.
There was an opportunity to work for the Government.
He joined the Department of Justice and Attorney-General that year and has been working there since.
Since he had reached only Grade 10 in school, he wanted to complete the next two grades while working.
“(So) I completed Grade 11 and Grade 12 through CODE (now FODE – Flexible Open and Distance Education) while attached with the department.”
He also tried out a law course at the University of PNG in 1991 and 1992 but did not progress further due to other commitments.
At the justice department, he began in the Bill of Sale section which came under the Sheriff Unit from 1989 to 1992.
From 1993 to 1996, he became a civil officer. From 1997 to 2009, he held the position of appeal and judicial review officer. He became a judge associate in 2010, a position he holds until today.
He is satisfied and happy that in the past 30 years, he had given his best to serve the Government and the people.
The award is the icing on the cake, so to speak, for him.