Narokobi was a great Melanesian icon

Bernard Narokobi led a colourful life as a lawyer, politician, philosopher and the author of several books.
He served as MP for Wewak, Speaker of Parliament and, in later years, as the high commissioner to New Zealand.
He made immense contributions to our Independence and as chairman of the Law Reform Commission.
He was known as the “Melanesian icon” from his column “The Melanesian Voice” in the Post-Courier throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
In that column, he urged Papua New Guineans in the years after Independence to make selective choices about Western and Melanesian lifestyles so that they could value each other according to a new Melanesian way.
Very early on, Mr Narokobi had recognised the difficult challenges. 
His book Life and Leadership charged leaders to accept personal responsibility when discharging their duties.

Frank Goi
Madang