O’Neill knows what he’s doing

FOR a lesser man it would be a disaster to come to terms with four Governors and two Members of Parliament resigning from your party right on the eve of a vote of no-confidence.
Against adroit triangulation, fierce criticisms, the constant spin of the perpetual social media campaign, and other, related tactics, Peter Charles Paire O’Neill managed to bounce off political coups and crises.
He did so throughout his tenure as prime minister, state minister and in his private life before politics.
For his life was a constant challenge since his early upbringing.
Unlike his ardent political contemporaries who came screaming into this world with silver spoons young Paire came with nothing and had to fend for himself with tooth and nail through life’s winding and treacherous journey.
His upbringing was tough. Born to Brian O’Neill, an Australian-born magistrate of partial Irish descent who left young O’Neill with his local mother Awambo Yari, from Pangia, Southern Highlands.
In respect to the recent governors and MPs resigning, he simply said: “It is their decision and they have to explain that to their own people. They were elected to Parliament under the mandate of PNC.
“PNC has supported them in many ways than one so that they can retain their positions and their role as Members of Parliament. We look forward to working closely with them over the next two years and we will allow the people to make their own decisions when election comes.”
Those close to O’Neill, including those deserters, know very well that beneath his amiable façade, is a lethal machine, a gutter fighter whose instinct is to go for the jugular. He doesn’t like lose ends.
He remembers every affront he had ever suffered in his political game and those who were unlucky enough to incur his enmity are paid back a hundredfold.
They are never aware of it, for O’Neill’s mathematical mind make a game of exacting retribution, patiently working out elaborate traps and spinning complex webs that finally catch and destroys his enemies.
Among the differing opinions on the pros and cons on Peter O’Neill’s leadership his government however is arguably the best in the history of our country in terms of service delivery.
It has delivered tangible and visible projects and policies both in infrastructure, health and education, developing districts and provinces, and making sure that this builds a very solid economy, an economy that is going to create opportunities for the country’s future.
On record the government connected the longest as many road networks, many health facilities and centres, many schools
and learning centres and many public utilities and infrastructure than all past governments put together.
And it would be remiss of me if I didn’t say Enga received the lion’s share of these developments.
Our debts are manageable and are within safe thresholds. Who said a country flourishes without debt?
America owes China and even Dubai is built on borrowed money.
The heebie-jeebies of over borrowing and mortgaging our future are totally baseless and are not true as we our economy can sustain itself domestically.
With the coming political storm O’Neill stands fearlessly like an eagle as he knows that a VONC is not as easy as counting 1,2,3.
VONC goes through a process and it is always said that those who manage the process maintains power.
An eagle detects an approaching storm long before it breaks. It will actually fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come.
When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm.
Isn’t that remarkable?
While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above. It does not escape the storm.
It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
What an extraordinary way to deal with adversity.

David Lepi
Konedobu, NCD