Mediator honoured for long service

By PAUL MINGA
IN THE plains of Waghi Valley, Jiwaka at Banz LLG was born a colourful leader namely Jipilnga Kulang.
He was a born leader who loved his job as a village leader and went on to prove himself as one of the stars – in clocking 63 years of loyal service to Banz LLG.
His birth date could not be ascertained but from his physical look is appears to be between 75 and 80 years old.
Born to father Kulang and mother Mur as an only son his parents never thought he would one day become a leader.
This Senglap leader was born in a hamlet called Tupa near the recently established PNGDF Engineering Battalion base at Kerowil and about 30km east of Banz town. As time passed, Jipilnga rose to become a great leader of his Senglap tribe because of courageous and outstanding style of solving conflicts, creating peace and bringing to an end tribal wars.
Jipilnga’s fearless and straight-shooting style of leadership was admired by many and as a result his service was needed by every community and ethnic group in the whole of Jiwaka. That is to as far as South Waghi, Jimi and both Banz and Nondugul LLGs.
One thing that his people will cherish and remember in the long run will be his voice tone and pitch.
A remarkable thing about Jipilnga was his voice can be heard from a distance when he gives speech at a conflict resolving venue or any other occasion. Two other great Senglap leaders who had set their benchmark at the village level were Kendu Kanzip and Ala Sike.
Something unique about these three great leaders was their strong penetrating voices. Jipilnga originates from the same tribe that produced other leaders at the national and provincial level such as Kaibelt Diriye, a national politician, who held power during the colonial era and soon after independence. Diriye went on to become the Post and Telegraph Minister under Prime Minister Michael Somare in the late 60s and 70s.
Dr Fabian Pok, another current leader at the national level is from Jipilnga’s Senglap tribe. Two other Senglap sons in late Stephen Kambiye and Paul Kerenga Ansphil have gained the peoples’ respect in becoming leaders at the provincial level during those times when the former provincial government system was in place.
According to an account by Jipilnga himself, he started his community leadership role back in 1960 when drafted to be an interpreter by the colonial Australian administration.
Two years later after his engagement as an interpreter in 1962 he was appointed a village committee. Then in 1975 he was appointed magistrate and he relinquished his committee badge to Aipanga, a fellow Aikup clansman.
Jipilnga took up a new role as magistrate and was also appointed chairman for Talu village court in Banz LLG. The volunteer magistrate job took up almost a third of Jipiluga’s whole life; he has faithfully given 26 years of loyal service to Talu village court.
His role as magistrate for a period of 26 years was more than enough for guaranteeing him a higher status and he became a land mediator in 2001. During the LLG election in 2002, Jipilnga was elected as Kendu 2 ward councilor in Banz LLG. The man nicknamed Peace Man performed both duties as ward councilor and peace and land mediator until he lost his seat in 2007 LLG election to a new candidate.
Since losing his council seat he focused on the peace and land mediation job which he performed over a long time up till now. As a pillar holding together families, clans, tribes and communities from disintegrating and killing each other, this great leader has been always at the forefront in settling disputes saving the weak and marginalised in delivering justice.
His 63 years of faithful and colourful service was eventually recognised in the 2018 Queens Birthday Awards on Nov 29 with the insignia of the Most Excellent Order of British Empire (MBE) for his services to local government and land mediation.
Other MBE recepients at the same time along with Jipilnga were Rev Fr Peter Guimei, Ricky Waiki Yu, John Goru and Shi Juan Lin.
Jipilnga was at long last bestowed a medal for his efforts under trying times and conditions, putting aside family commitments and his life on the line in his duty in risky situations in battle fields.
The leader from Senglap who has served under both Australian and PNG Governments is proud and overwhelmed by the royal award.