Briefs

Help the people, PM
I would like to commend the Prime Minister for buying an executive jet. I never thought such a feat could be achieved in your term but once again you have proved us wrong. As a Papua New Guinean, I also want a piece of the action. Do you have any plan in place for the citizens who want to work in the LNG project? I have been accepted to do a degree in petroleum engineering in Australia but sadly, I do not have the money to take up the course. I would gladly study in PNG if our Government had been proactive to have the course offered at Unitech. I have checked with AusAID but they are more interested in awarding scholarships for MBAs and social development studies, courses which are of little or no use to the upcoming resource-based projects. PNG needs more blue collar workers but the sad fact is all these jobs will be lost to foreigners. The question now is what is the Government doing to help its own people? – Aspiring (yet struggling) PNGn, via email

PNG on spending spree
I REFER to your news article “K178m gift” (Nov 27). I find the report really disturbing. It is sickening to read about all the millions of kina being given to the districts and yet our people in the rural areas have not seen, felt or benefit from the funds. While the Somare Government may have good intention, it does not have the capacity or strategy to ensure these funds reach the people. I suggest part of these funds go towards the provincial Works offices who have the people and expertise to ensure that roads and bridges are maintained, upgraded or built. More often than not, certain ministers and senior bureaucrats continue to withhold the funds in trust accounts and abuse them. Maybe the Government and NEC can tell us where the K2 million for Tewai-Siassi, K25 million for the Lae city road upgrading or NADP funds have gone to. I cannot understand how this Government works. – Franco Wawen, via email

Ignorant commentator
I WAS watching with great interest the colourful closing ceremony of the 4th PNG Game on Kundu station when suddenly, one of the TV commentators kept repeating “kids from the settlements”. How could the commentator say that when the children are from Motuan villages in Central province? I doubt the commentator realised many Motu-Koitabu viewers were offended by that. I want to ask the commentator: “Do you really know the definition of settlement or did you just used the term because of your ignorance?” I want to remind you that we are NOT settlers. The children who performed with Moses Tau were NOT from the settlements around Port Moresby but came from villages in Central province. We expect an apology from the commentator! – David Loea, Port Moresby

Well done, Komba
I would like to congratulate James Komba from Team Morobe for winning gold in the 67.5kg weightlifting event. I am amaze that Komba has gone this far. The gold medal is just reward for all the hard work and training Komba has put in. He has made the Magenas very proud of his achievement. – JM Magena, Wellington

Grow up, Trawen
I DOUBT Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen know what he is doing. How can he claim he can pick any venue in PNG he fancies to conduct the counting of the Kandep by-election? Goroka, for that matter, is not a cave where you can hide away from all the mayhem taking place in Kandep. I support the call from the Highlands police commander to let the people handle their own situation if common sense is absent. The police clearly do not have that sort of armoury. Grow up, Mr Trawen. – Concerned, via email

Don’t cover pole numbers
I noticed that Digicel’s has been painting all the power poles in the city red. I hope the workers do
not cover up the pole numbers on the poles because that would really give a problem to city folk trying to report faults, even more to linesmen trying to locate faults. Some people may even see this as an act of vandalism. – Spardz Wennar, Port Moresby