O’Neill team asked to vacate offices

MEMBER for Nawaeb Timothy Bonga has urged the O’Neill-Namah faction to vacate government offices they are occupying.
“This charade has gone on for long enough.
“Public servants led by chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc should stop defying the Supreme Court orders by supporting an illegal regime,” Bonga said.
Bonga, appointed internal security minister in the Somare camp, said Zurenuoc as a learned person should know better.
“Equally, I appeal to Speaker Jeffery Nape and Peter O’Neill to move out of the government bench and let Sir Michael assume his rightful place in accordance with the Supreme Court order of Dec 12.
“If the speaker had obeyed the Supreme Court order and invited the Grand Chief to take his rightful place in parliament last year, we would not be where we are today.
“We recognise that the O’Neill camp has the numbers so they should not be scared but allow Sir Michael to assume his seat as prime minister on Jan 17,” Bonga said.
He said with the numbers that O’Neill has, he could appropriately show that strength on the floor of parliament.
Meanwhile, on the K3.7 million paid out in allowances to a group of people visiting Sir Michael in Singapore, Bonga said he would have sanctioned it.
“He was the prime minister at the time and was entitled to staff and allowances,” he said.
“Once the investigations are conducted, we will see how the O’Neill camp has grossly exaggerated these claims.”
Bonga said the actual hospital bill was around SGD700 that Sir Michael was still paying off.