Foreigners to head commission

THE Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will be fully operational this year and headed by three foreign nationals to eliminate any Papua New Guinean connection.
Prime Minister James Marape made the announcement at the Public Service dedication programme last Friday, revealing that two Australians and one from New Zealand had been appointed so that there are no local connections to the institution.
“ICAC will be at work for the first time since its inception following the appointment of the commissioner and two deputies, so we ask the police to do their job,” he said.
ICAC interim chairman Thomas Eluh told The National that although the three commissioners had not arrived, he was looking forward to welcoming them and was preparing their offices.
“I appeal to all public servants, elected and non-elected, to follow the law and you are safe.
“Follow the law at the workplace as you operate within the Public Services Management Act.
“If you follow the law, we can all do work for our country and it will progress,” Eluh said.
“He estimated that there were four to five million people still living in remote villages, advising public servants the need to remain in service to the country.
“It is time we re-dedicate our costs to our people so that whatever task you are given, must be fully attended to at the earliest.
“For the urgency of time is at hand, we have no time to waste,” Eluh said.
“When we see the lawlessness and the plight of the destitute, it is an indication that in the last 47 years, the sum of waste, complacency and corruption, had outweighed productivity.
“Gone are the days where we roll year by year, with no reporting to our people for I intend to report to our people by March 31, what we have done in 2022.
“Our people have been left behind and I expect that all of us must step up to the task.
“We are setting up a national monitoring authority to ensure that we have an arm’s length audit on all of the public works in our country, including districts,” Eluh said.