Amaiu elected chairman as six clubs walk out

By HENRY MORABANG
THE Port Moresby Rugby Football League has elected Labi Amaiu as the new chairman during its annual general meeting on Saturday at Shady Rest Hotel in Port Moresby.
Amaiu, who had been acting chairman for the past four months, recieved 11 votes to six after the intense lobbying between POMRFL affiliated clubs over the last two weeks.
The incumbent Amaiu defeated Richard Sinamoi to put to rest the on-going battle over the chairmanship post.
Samson Unagi was elected senior vice-president defeating Magani’s Ian Gapi.
Jamuga Stone beat Thomas Tarubu for the secretary’s post.
Timothy Gena is the treasurer while Kera Ngaffin is junior vice-president to fill the vacancy left by Jack Ninkama.
But in a twist, Amaiu ascension to the chairmanship was actually made easier as Sinamoi’s faction walked out of the meeting claiming the AGM had been compromised.
They believed they were not given a fair opportunity to contest positions on the board.
The matter is now likely to return to the courts.
However, Amaiu said the AGM followed all the requirements of the constitution.
He said the clubs walked out because they failed to submit their financial reports and the minutes of the election of their executives.
The clubs which walked out were Brothers, Souths, Magani, Tarangau, Kone Storms and Dobo Warriors.
The remaining clubs including the referee association elected Amaiu for the hottest seat in rugby league.
An elated Amaiu thanked the clubs for having confidence in him to lead the country’s largest competition.
Amaiu said his immediate priority was to repay an outstanding K600,000 bank loan which had been in existence for the last 12 years.
“I have directed my secretary to contact Bank South Pacific and the management of the PRL club house to come to a round table discussion a workable solution to fix the outstanding loan,” he said.
In order to help settle the outstanding loan, Amaiu announced soon after his election his plans to auction off the corporate boxes at the Lloyd Robson Oval in January.
Apart from that the board would seek support from corporate partners to upgrade the facilities such as the outer stands and the grandstand, and importantly, his board wanted to improve the standard of coaching at the club level.
He said by next year, all clubs affiliated with PRL must have PNGRFL or Australia rugby league certificate to coach.
Those who do not have any qualified coaches will have to advertise for the coaches.
He also appealed to clubs who failed and to submit their financial report the minute of the election of their office bearers to do so by next month.