Citizenship issue delays ESP admin appoinment

Issues with foreign citizenship are holding up the appointment of the East Sepik administrator, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says.
Responding to questions by East Sepik Governor Allan Bird on the delay in the appointment, O’Neill said the potential candidate had citizenship issues.
“There is no such thing as singling out East Sepik whatsoever, we work with all the provincial governments in resolving their administrative issues,” O’Neill said.
“I’ve had discussions with the governor myself in trying to resolve this issue on the appointment of permanent administrator for East Sepik.
“When the submission came to the National Executive Council, it was brought to the attention of NEC that the gentleman who was recommended was a permanent resident or it was alleged that he was a citizen of a foreign country.
“That is precisely why we asked for this matter to be referred back to the department to confirm.
In reference to an expatriate woman being appointed to head the province, O’Neill said it was the company that was employing that woman that was going through the non-citizen’s appointment process.
“But we are talking about a government department and agency and a public service position
which requires only citizens to apply.
“If it’s brought to the attention of the Cabinet that this particular person is a foreign citizen or non-citizen and is a permanent resident of a different country, we need to process that according to the rules of the Public Service Management Act, that’s why it was rejected.
“It’s not because we don’t want anybody to be permanently appointed in East Sepik.
“The governor and the provincial administration can appoint anybody as they please as acting provincial administrator.”
O’Neill said the acting provincial administrator had full powers similar to that of the permanent appointee of the administrator’s position.
“I will get the Department of Personnel Management to process this properly if it is found that the gentleman is not a permanent resident or if he is not a citizen of a foreign country.
“We have no issue about the person that has been recommended. In fact, I hold the gentleman highly; he is one of Papua New Guinea’s most qualified persons to hold such positions.”