Basil tells official to stay put

ACTING registrar-general of the PNG Civil and Identity Registry Noel Mobiha has been directed to remain in office and continue the National Identification (NID) project rollout registration of students who will need funding from the Government’s Higher Education Loan Programme (Help).
National Planning and Monitoring Minister Sam Basil issued the directive to Mobiha yesterday.
The directive follows letters from the Ministry and Department for Community Development and Religion to Mobiha, alleging that he was illegally occupying the office of the registrar-general as his acting appointment had expired on Dec 19, 2019.
“I wrote to Prime Minister James Marape and the Department of Personnel Management in mid-December, for the extension of Mobiha’s appointment as acting registrar-general of the PNG Civil and Identity Registry and the NID project,” Basil said.
“I am advised that given the Christmas and New Year holiday period, followed by the Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae’s marriage and honeymoon, the instruments for extension of Mobiha’s appointment have not yet been signed for gazettal.
“It is common, accepted governance practice that when an acting appointment (or a permanent appointment for that matter) lapses, whoever is occupying that position functions in that position by default until a new appointment is made and gazetted,” he said.
“Given the importance of civil vital statistics documents like certificates of births, marriages, adoptions, legitimisations and deaths, and controversies faced by NID project at the expense of rollout of registrations, only an officially appointed registrar general – acting or permanent – can occupy that office.
“I have therefore, directed Mobiha to remain in office and ensure that the Government’s initiative for students on Help – can continue while the formalities of his appointment are effected,” Basil said.
The first letter, signed purportedly by Community Development, Religion and Youth minister Wake Goi, ordered Mobiha to vacate the office.