Maru: Shape up or ship out

 By MALUM NALU

COMMERCE and Industry Minister Richard Maru says anyone who shows slackness in the department will be given the marching orders.

He issued the warning in no uncertain terms when welcoming on board John Andrias as new secretary, taking over from Gerard Dogimab.

“I want to see betelnut chewing in this office stopped. 

“Secretary, get out a circular,” Maru told Andrias.

“Those who come late must go.

“We are going to bring in trade (function)  but before we do that, let’s clean up the place.

“Drinking, taking money from landowners, all this nonsense must stop!

“We must respect our womenfolk and we must have a sense of discipline in this place.

“We are going to provide leadership to this country and we must get a new economic growth plan in this place, starting with our attitude here.

“We must also have a career path for our graduates coming through,” he said.

Maru told Andrias he had every confidence in him to lead the department.

“I have every confidence that you have the knowledge and experience to lead the department,” he said.

“You can’t have clout, you can’t have cronies in this place and you have to show that you can run a department.

“You must be transparent and you must be result-oriented,

“Put your past differences away, we have a department to run.”