Books enrich lives

 By ABIGAIL APINA 

FORMER Prime Minister and Kokopo MP Sir Rabbie Namaliu is impressed with the output of Grand Chief Sir Paulias Matane in his 48th book just published.

Launching three new books last Friday in Kokopo, Sir Rabbie said he wished he had a similar passion for writing.

“This world, our world and our society are all the better and richer for their wisdom, for their perceptive and incisive description and analysis of our country as an emerging and development nation right up to the arrival of the 21st century,” he said.

Sir Rabbie said Sir Paulias’ 48th book – Understanding Papua New Guinea – was a concise work, an exposition of the development in the fields of geography, history, constitution, legal system, political, cultural, economic and education system of the country.

“It is a book that I have enjoyed reading not only because it is familiar but also for me personally,” he said. 

“It brings back some wonderful and fond memories of my own career prior to and during the post independence period as a young academic at the University of Papua New Guinea, a young bureaucrat who had big shoes to follow and fill in the likes of Sir Paulias and Sir Alkan Tololo and as a political leader representing Kokopo and our province over a period of 25 years until 2007

Sir Rabbie said he worked closely with Sir Paulias when he first entered parliament as the Kokopo MP in 1982.

“How Sir Paulias Matane has been able to still find time to write 48 books in between his busy career and schedule including travelling to all seven continents is mind boggling. He is a role model that would be difficult to emulate,” he said.

Sir Rabbie also congratulated young writer Benedict Warwakai and Sir Paulias’ co-author A.L Ahuja from India for their efforts in the having the three books launched.