Competent leadership delivers development

I REFER to earlier letters here regarding the issue of ethical leadership and respect for meritorious appointments by the Government.
There are accomplishments every successive government has achieved which should be acknowledged and appreciated.
I commend the leadership of late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare for his passion and love for this country where his leadership always upheld the highest order and standards of the integrity and sovereignty of Papua New Guinea.
The late Sir Rabbie Namaliu is one of a kind with his exemplary and ethical leadership displayed at all levels instilling respect and integrity at all sectors.
Known as the reformist, the late Sir Mekere Morauta will be remembered for restructuring key State-owned enterprises in the name of cost-saving and effective service delivery.
Those were the times when their leadership demanded of the processes and structures of country to be running smoothly as expected.
As times change with increased technological advances, Papua New Guinea has moved on when the political impasse in 2011 created the opportunity for Peter O’Neill who came in with a wealth of private sector management and leadership experience.
The then Prime Minister Peter O’Neill was seen as an intelligent and a strategic thinker, a tough general who was a people and service-oriented leader.
Apart from some of his significant policy contributions such as the district development authority concept, the National Public Service Ethics and Values-Based Executive Leadership and Management Capability Framework, the massive volume of infrastructure development in the country speaks of itself, across the country who O’Neill is.
Prime Minister James Marape is a smart young leader who has learned from both the strengths and weaknesses of his predecessor and past prime ministers. With careful assessments on previous leaders’ achievements and lacks, Marape is a smart player prioritising what needs to be done.
Marape deserves to be praised for reviewing the foundations of the country with much of the legal policy and structural reforms that are aimed at effective service delivery.
The “Humbled Huli” is one of those smart contemporary leaders, humble as a dove and wise as a serpent.
Despite all these mix of leadership styles and the political will, what has always been lacking is the administrative drive to ensure an effective service delivery at all levels of government.
Central to them is ethical leadership – honesty, integrity, accountability, transparency and the list goes on.
In such a time as this when Papua New Guinea is presented with enormous developmental challenges, it is the public’s call and demand for strong ethical leadership but adequately qualified intelligent leaders both at the political and administrative levels.
This is a call to those few.
Enough of political rhetoric and propaganda on the wheels of free education and health policies.
Half-baked college graduates at the administrative drive failed big time to deliver government programmes due to lack of authentic knowledge, experience and skills on institutional alignment and policy coherence and meeting implementation targets.
It is high time to put in truly qualified, intelligent, honest, accountable leaders as CEOs of agencies, departmental heads and administrators of provinces and districts to improve service delivery in PNG.
The Government should not appoint people with questionable credentials and those without proper qualifications.
Compliance for meritorious appointment is what matters.

Waigani patriot