NATION

This the road to a sad end?

Seeing what happened in Bougainville, some would wonder whether Decentralisation championed by John Momis and others might lead to something quite unintended

By FRANK SENGE KOLMA
DR John Momis is a remarkable man.
He has championed the Decentralisation concept of government from its genesis around 1973/74 through a torrid impasse in 1976 just a year after Independence when the concept was dropped from the Constitution, its reluctant admission in the same year to keep the peace and unity with Bougainville, its nationwide application under his direction as Minister for Decentralisation in 1977, through two reforms (1995 and 2014) with a third pending before Parliament nearly half a century later
He has himself resigned from the National Parliament to lead his Autonomous Bougainville Region as its President through the early days of its inception.
In his own words he has masterfully told much of that story in the last three weeks in this space when we ran a speech he had presented to the NRI conference on the subject in February this year.
His stalwart support for Decentralisation is unquestioned across a lifetime but with his own Bougainville having evolved into autonomy status which he guided from its infancy and in 2019 it having voted for the extreme option of total separation and Independence from PNG, it does lead reasonable people to wonder at whether or not walking the decentralisation path inevitably leads to this rather sad and dreary end. In PNG, that is.
Cause for a rethink
With more provinces clamouring for autonomy and the only experience we have ever had being on Bougainville and that having turned out as an ‘exit strategy’, there is justifiable cause for a rethink as we strategise for the future.
However we walk the decentralisation dog here on, we cannot, we must not, lead it to a new master including it contemplating becoming its own master.
In that direction is certain death for this nation which is merely a loose collection of numerous tribal nations held together by a mere proclamation, a constitution and a shared history of colonisation.
The National Research Institute’s project on Autonomy and Decentralisation is therefore timely and provides an ideal platform “to encourage an informed national conversation on the design and operation of decentralisation” not just as an “aid to policy makers as they consider options for change” but to give broader understanding to those who are involved in managing this devolved system of government and more especially the people who are governed or the end beneficiaries of this political process.
Of what use is a process without benefits and beneficiaries?
For, unless there are clear benefits to be derived and beneficiaries who anticipate and appreciate those fruits, of what use is any process or system?
And this question throws us back to the very start, to when Dr Momis and his co-founders of the constitution were deliberating what form of government would be good at the district and local level.
In a commentary for The National on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Independence Dr Momis explained the reasoning behind decentralisation: “The colonial government which was highly centralised and bureaucratised was a misfit because it did not suit the highly diversified nature of PNG with its 800 languages and cultures.
“We felt that in our zeal to create a united nation we ought not to impose uniformity and regimentation at the cost of people’s creative participation which is the best incentive for mobilising people’s joint collaborative effort towards nation building.
“In line with man’s inherent self-determining nature he is also both the subject and object of government and development. In other words, he must be the active agent and not a mere recipient of goods and services.”
Elsewhere he added the following: “Empowering people through decentralisation would make people become important and responsible stakeholders in the national effort to create a new nation out of a conglomeration of tribes. We had to get rid of the highly centralised and bureaucratised government of Konedobu which systematically and consistently disempowered the people and made them into passive recipients of goods and service.”
The goal was to avoid manipulation and exploitation and to empower people to participate in political decision making.
Goods and services delivery was clearly a secondary role for the type of government devolved to the provinces.
Quite suddenly I see it clearly. The provincial government system has not failed. It has delivered spectacularly, given the multitude of impediments. It has delivered on its original intent beyond all expectations.
Astounding success
Nobody, in all these considerations, seems to recognise the astounding success of the provincial government system in its primary goal – that of making the people fully aware of their importance and of their participation in political decision making.
The politicisation of Papua New Guinea is full. From the lower grade school pupil to the toothless ‘bubu’ in a far flung atoll, matters of politics are never out of mind or discussion. Indeed, ‘too much politics’ has been cited as one of the principal reasons for the reforms of 1995.
The reforms of 2014 were to improve goods and services delivery at the district levels and break the backbone of provincial politics that was now providing credible and competing challenge to national politics.
Both reforms have not delivered perhaps because we have confused disciplines.
Self-determination and people participation in decision making at whatever level is part and parcel of political science.
Goods and services supplied to meet the demands for them from the people is in answer to economic principles, not political ones.
Sorting out this confusion will go a long way to unclog our minds and set the stage for the next phase of decentralisation.
We have achieved our Independence goal to empower and embolden to participate at political decision making with decentralisation, what next?
We attempt to answer that question next week when we review an excellent paper.

Get value for money, MP urges students

By PAUL MINGA
MEMBER for North Waghi and former University of Papua New Guinea commerce lecturer turned politician Dr Fabian Pok is focused on human resource development for his district.
He made this known at a recent address to North Waghi district development authority.
“In my time as MP since my election into office in 2017 I haven’t let down parents of North Waghi students in any way. I have honoured my commitment in subsidising a fraction of school fees – making allocations of K1 to K2 million each year for university, college, secondary school, high school as well as primary and elementary school students in the district.
“I even went to the extent of paying a fraction of fees for school leavers and adults who wish to take up skills training studies in TVET, vocational and other privately run schools.”
Pok further stated that he was not desperate in committing funds at the last minute to impress parents and students to get votes as this was one of his district development priorities that was first initiated and rolled out since his election after 2017 and it was an ongoing program.
A very important point the MP made was this: “It is impossible to look into the needs and wants of every single person in the district. Therefore, the point behind helping out students is so that after they graduate, they can secure jobs and help out their own families, clans and tribes in whichever they can as educated people.
“What I’m doing now as MP in this small way is to enable our students to accomplish their dreams so they can do something big for their respective communities and people in future.”
Pok further reminded North Waghi students studying in various institutions around the country to give their best in studies and graduate with flying colors and make their parents proud as they were feeling the pinch in paying school fees.
“Get real value for the money; your poor parents and the North Waghi district administration are paying for your education.
“We don’t want to see another lot of useless university graduates out on the streets with poor academic marks. The world has changed dramatically over time and so has PNG. People nowadays look at recruiting top performing students for their organisations.”
The North Waghi MP made these remarks after closing the district’s school fee rollout programme for this year in Port Moresby.