Momis visits, provides financial aid

By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
AUTONOMOUS Region of Bougainville President John Momis was in Lae on Monday to provide financial and moral support to Bougainvilleans who survived the mv Rabaul Queen disaster.
The survivors are camped at the Morobe Catholic diocese care centre.
Momis said the ABG was prepared to help its people who were involved in the maritime disaster last Thursday.
“We are in close consultation with our people in Lae. We will assist our people, many of whom were students, with their immediate financial needs, including money for their studies,” Momis said.
He said the Bougainville administration had been directed to have funds readily available to meet some of the expanses of repatriating the bodies of the deceased Bougainvilleans as soon as the rescue operations had ended and the passengers identified.
“Star Shipping will have to bear the cost based on the outcome of the investigation but ABG, as a government, has the responsibility to treat with respect our dead and bring them home,” Momis said.
He thanked all parties involved in the search and rescue operations, including the Australian Maritime Safety team and the international merchant ship from China that responded immediately to the distress call sent out by the mv Rabaul Queen.
“The people of Bougainville pray for those still lost at sea, we pray for the deceased and we hope and pray that more survivors will be rescued,” Momis said.
He cautioned all people to take care when travelling, saying the sinking of the mv Rabaul Queen was a lesson for everyone on maritime safety.
“Before travelling, make sure to check the weather, do safety checks on the transport you will be using and let us seriously take on the culture to not overload the vehicles, the ships or the banana boats we are travelling in,” Momis said.