Powi: I am lawful SHP administrator

By JEFFREY ELAPA
THERE is no vacancy in the post of the Southern Highlands provincial administration, administrator William Powi said.
Powi, who just returned from an urgent medical leave, said that he was the legitimate provincial administrator and warned Governor Anderson Agiru to leave his province and his people alone and not to play politics with the public service machinery.
He said this after Agiru conducted a night provincial assembly meeting in Mendi, Southern Highlands, over the week to make several acting appointments to the provincial administration and the provincial government, bypassing procedures of appointments.
At the meeting, provincial administrator Powi was replaced by Ambi Keleli, the provincial deputy administrator, provincial treasurer Simon Tomba was replaced by Kevin Pruno and member for Kagua-Erave James Lagea was appointed acting Governor of the province.
Powi said that Agiru and the provincial executive council did not have the powers to appointment a provincial administrator or a provincial treasurer and therefore the acting appointments were illegal and he remains as the provincial administrator.
He said only the National Executive Council had the powers to appointment a provincial administrator while the Department of Finance and Treasury had powers to sack and appointment provincial treasurers.
“There is no vacancy and I’m the legitimate administrator. I was on four weeks medical leave to go for medical examinations and I’m back to resume my duty as administrator until the NEC replaces me, not Agiru or his PEC.
“Agiru should leave my people of Southern Highlands alone and concentrate on improving his Hela province over the next four months as he has a lot on his plate to do.
“As the champion of Constitution, he should follow procedures and processes as per the law and not play around with young leaders and public servants of Southern Highlands.
“Stop creating chaos and instability in the provincial administration and the community. You should be concentrating on creating better Hela,” Powi said.
He also warned Agiru to stop collecting internal revenue cheques belonging to the provincial government and carrying them around.
 “By law it is my duty to collect cheques and expend them according to the budget.
“He should not abuse the processes.
“He should not try to exercise powers that he does not have,” Powi said.