Basil raised by a strong woman: MP

SAM Basil was raised by a strong woman from Buang, Morobe, says Deputy Speaker and Markham MP Koni Iguan.
Iguan said he was his mother’s son, a strong and resilient person.
He said she worked as a tea girl for the Lae Builders Construction company even when her son became a politician.
“Sam would argue with his mum, tell her to quit her job and let him take care of her,” Iguan said.
“But she used to refuse, that’s how strong and resilient she was, and that’s where Sam got his strength and resilience from – his Buang mother.
“They both, mother and son, believed in being independent.
“They believed in working and earning things.
“Today, his mother Cathy, has been sitting there refusing to cry, though you can see the pain in her eyes.
“She raised Sam working as a tea girl for the Lae Builders Construction.
“And his father Basil was a highway truck driver who drove up and down the Highlands Highway.
“When I approached her, she said ‘son, I won’t cry for your brother, I cried when I gave birth to him. I took care of him until he became a man. So now I won’t cry’.”
But despite the brave words, you can see the pain in her eyes, as she sits surrounded by her two daughters, grandchildren and great grand-children.
Cathy, after a long pause, said that she continued working even when her son became a politician because she didn’t want to sit around doing nothing.
“I work to keep fit. But Sam always urged me to stop working so he could take care of me,” she said.
“He built my house in Zenag and I left work to live there.
“I gave birth to him in Lae in 1969,” Cathy said.
“I enrolled him at Taraka where he completed his education in Lae.
“He is my strength, I gave birth to him and his two sisters.
“I am crying inside; my son has left me.
“Who will buy my electricity, who will buy my gas. I am heartbroken.”
Cathy said that she saw her son on Monday and Tuesday not knowing that he would leave her on Wednesday.
“On Monday, we were together.
“I was with him as he did his electoral duties and we came back to the house at Zenag.
“He cooked for us, he always loves cooking.
“On Tuesday, we were together too but on Wednesday he flew out on a chopper.
“Sam was coming back to me when he had the accident and left us.”

Deputy PM did things his own way, says Marape

PRIME Minister James Marape has described his deputy, the late Sam Basil, as a man who did things in his own way.
In addressing the country during the deputy prime minister’s state funeral, Marape said: “The late deputy prime minister had a grit and drive and an urge to do things his own way when the system couldn’t meet expectations.”
Marape said in the 15 years of services to Papua New Guinea and as Bulolo MP, Basil rose from Opposition ranks to be the deputy opposition leader and then rose in the Government ranks to be the deputy prime minister.
“Basil was an exceptional MP serving his home electorate with distinction for three unbroken terms.
“Like many of us who have been mandated from the simple rural areas of our country, our hearts always remain with our rural people.”
He said Basil’s upbringing – growing up in rural Morobe – influenced his leadership banding, a group of young leaders keen on fixing the country and returning services to rural people.
Recalling his last trip with his deputy, Marape said: “I remember a night after meeting with Wafi-Golpu landowners, we again forgot protocol and he drove me at night back to Lae from Mumeng.”
He said the urge to sometimes not follow protocol stemmed from the urgency to serve.
“For we are simple men here in our time slot to serve our people, most of whom are simple rural Papua New Guineans.
“Basil’s unrelenting character to never give up, pushed him to be self-sufficient, creative and a self-starter” Marape added.
Marape also expressed sympathies to his family, the United Labour Party, his electorate and the people of Morobe.
Basil’s body will be flown to Morobe today where a provincial funeral service will be held before he is laid to final rest in his Buang village.

House maids weep for boss, son Basil

By Helen Tarawa and Melyne Baroi
DELMA Gedisa and Catherine Rambing wept as they witnessed MPs pay respects to their boss, the late Sam Basil Bulolo MP and Deputy Prime Minister, at the Lie-in-State ceremony yesterday.
Gedisa and Rambing told The National that they had been working as haus meris (house maids) for Basil for more than 10 years.
“We are lost for words because he was like a son to us.
“Now that he is gone, we are unsure of our jobs,” Gedisa said.
Rambing from Zenag, Morobe, said her husband was the first to work for Basil and she joined him.
“I did not know how to work as a house maid but my boss’s wife Shalatee asked me to assist.
“Because my husband worked for them, they asked me to also join him and we both became like their parents.
“We looked after them well and now that our boss is gone we don’t know what will happen to us,” Rambing said.
Gedisa, from Boana village, Morobe, said she was approached by her niece who had worked for Basil to be a house maid.
“My niece told me that Basil needed house maids and to go and see him and that’s how I was employed.
“I joined well before baby Ayaan Basil was born and I stayed on till his birth on Aug 5, last year. I was worried when I received the news of my boss’s death because he helped me and my family a lot but this will be no more,” Gedisa said.
Gedisa and Rambing were moved because they had never been to Port Moresby but through Basil’s death they accompanied Shalatee and Ayaan to the Capital.
They attended the Lie-in-State ceremony and witnessed MPs turning up yesterday to pay their respects.
Among them were Speaker Job Pomat, Prime Minister James Marape, his wife Rachael, Opposition Leader Belden Namah and senior cabinet ministers and MPs.
Cries broke out at the Parliament entrance as the PNG Defence Force welcomed the casket with traditional bagpipe music.
Pomat formally received the casket.
It was rested for an hour in the place where he became minister 15 years ago.
His mourning family watched on as their father, husband and son was farewelled by his colleagues.
With a silent prayer, a bow and salute each of the ministers gestured Basil goodbye.
It was a time of sorrow and farewell but the beauty of friendship and legacy shone through many teardrops and utters of remorse.
A brave leader gone too soon but will undoubtedly be remembered for his heart for his people.