In-laws praise Chief – The National

By GYNNIE KERO in Wewak
ESTHER Kaiap was devastated and emotional when she heard that Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare – her brother-in-law – passed away.
Kaiap is Lady Veronica Somare’s younger sister.
She is the youngest in a family of 11.
She spoke of how Sir Michael and Lady Veronica had been supporting her over the years.
“They pushed me in my church ministry,” she said.
“Tunga (Sir Michael) doesn’t look at name tags.
“He supports everyone.”
When he died on Feb 26 in Port Moresby, Kaiap was travelling on the Boram freeway.
“I wanted to kill myself when I heard the news of his passing,” she said.
Fifth-born brother Robin Kaiap recalled how Lady Veronica married Sir Michael before he entered politics in 1968.
He said when Sir Michael decided to become a politician, all staff of the then-Boram Hospital played a part during his campaign.
“In the 1960s, it was very difficult,” he said.
“All our fathers who worked at the hospital – in the wards, mess, theatre, dispensary – played a part.
“They attended to patients and at the same time gave them a poster of Sir Michael and told the patients to vote for him.
“Sir Michael eventually won against Frank Martin (then the regional MP).”
Robin said even after Sir Michael won the seat, he still wanted to achieve more.
“He did not want to be a cargo-boy,” he said.
“Between 1968 and 1973, this guy did not sleep.
“I (was staying) with him at that time and watched how he (worked) very late into the night.”
Sir Michael was laid to rest at his Kreer Heights property overlooking Wewak town and harbour on Tuesday after more than two-weeks of mourning declared by Prime Minister James Marape.

Duma thanks ESP people for choosing Sir Michael

BRINGING THE NEWS … Salesman Stanley Kauken, of Wosera in East Sepik, selling newspapers in Wewak. He said The National arrived late on Wednesday but was quickly sold out because of the public interest in the passing of Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare. – Nationalpic by GYNNIE KERO

HAGEN MP William Duma has thanked the people of East Sepik for continuing to pick Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare as their governor over many years up to 2017.
“I thank the people of Karau village, Murik Lakes and East Sepik for continuing to elect Sir Michael to Parliament over those many years,” he said in a statement.
Duma, who served as a minister for nine years in the Somare government, looked up to him as a boss, friend and mentor.
“Although we were members of different political parties, he was a father figure to all of us who entered the political arena in the past two decades,” he said.
Duma admired Sir Michael for always putting the interests of East Sepik and his own last in any decision he made.
“During the years, I served as a minister in the Somare government, I never witnessed Sir Michael pushing or approving Cabinet submissions and proposals which would benefit himself personally or his family,” he said.
“On (many occasions during) the appointments of heads of departments where he was to choose between a nominee who came from East Sepik and one from another province, he would support the nominee from another part of the country.
“It was a real privilege to work with and for a great and special leader who had such a wide understanding of all aspects of Government and how to get MPs to work together for a common cause.”