Briefs

Homeless settlers appeal for aid
A LEADER of the Menyamya community residing near Sumuampon village at Rumion, in the Leron Plains of Markham Valley, is urgently calling on provincial leaders to assist with food and shelter.  Ronny Ben, a senior teacher at Rumion’s Noha Community School, said his people needed urgent assistance from the governor, provincial administrator, Huon district administrator and Wampar LLG manager because they were in desperate need of food, shelter and clothing.  Mr Ben’s plea followed the burning down of all their 25 houses of bush and semi-permanent materials by angry landowners from Tararan village last month, after a young man from the village was found dead along the highway. Mr Ben said currently, more than 100 people, including women and children, were just sleeping on the grass. Tararan councillor Timothy Luke said the Huon district administrator, MP and the governor should consider “the fact that within this year alone, there have been three murders within the Wampar district and they must look at ways to solve these issues”.

Relocation plan on slow phase
THE relocation programme being carried out on the people of Carteret Islands in the Atolls of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville is slow but on track. It was being carried out by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) Tulele Pesa (TP), which was formed in 2005 as the Carterets relocation programme which set up an office in Buka a year later. Tulele Pisa currently had partners from both national and international levels but it lacks lack on financial support to carry out its work. TP had just started to build a relationship with the government of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville by seeking financial support and backing from them. TP coordinator Ursula Rakowa said most of the money used in the relocation programme had been funded through New Zealand Aid and through fundraising they themselves carried out.

SAPNG to revive prov branches
THE Scout Association of Papua New Guinea (SAPNG) is slowly reviving its provincial branches under a new approach, after most of its provincial units have closed down for some years. And to ensure that provincial branches survived, SAPNG national administrator Morea Gau Lohia is visiting all provinces to talk to officers on how they can go about reviving the association. Mr Lohia, who was also in charge of Scout trainings, was providing basic adult leaders training on young men who were interested in the scouting field. While in Mt. Hagen, 21 young men went through a week-long adult leaders training. Mr Lohia said the established centres included Eastern Highlands, National Capital District, Central, Morobe, Enga, New Ireland and Western Highlands provinces which he would  visit to conduct the trainings.

Juha in Western province: Sala
JUHA landowner chairman wants to make it clear that Juha is in Western province, not the Southern Highlands “as purported by people with vested interests”. “I want to clear all uncertainties and doubts on the question of the locality and the ownership. Juha is located in the Nomad LLG of Western province by operation of law,” John Wabi Sala, Phemi Landowner Association chairman for Juha, said. “According to the Electoral Boundaries Commission, which can be confirmed by the National Mapping Bureau, Juha was located in Western Province, not anywhere else,” Mr Sala said. He said people with vested interests must refrain from misleading the public. Mr Sala warned other stakeholders, including the media, not to entertain people who purport to be landowners because the real landowners “are at home and not in Port Moresby”

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Morobe admin in latrine drive
THE provincial environmental health office in Morobe province is in the process of preparing cement slabs for the 24 pit latrines that will be set up in selected areas of the settlements. Officer-in-charge Raphael Kababa said the sites chosen were mostly the hotspots where disease outbreaks where reported. These pit latrines would be used as a demonstration projects for the settlers to build their own.  Theywould be set up near churches, schools and community leader’s homes. The chosen sites were Bumbu, Biwat, Hunter, Nabak, East and West Taraka, Bundi, Maus Markham, Sialum, Kamkumung, Speedway, Talair, As Mambu, One, Two, Three, Four and Five-Miles and Wareo compound.