Queen’s Birthday honours go to 93 hard workers

Hardworking government officials, military and police officers, church workers and civil servants have been recognised through the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae presented the awards to 93 recipients at Government House on Thursday.
Minister for Lands and Physical Planning was among the recipients of the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) award for services to the community and to sports and major events.
Several members of the military and police were recognised for their services.
Among them was deputy director crimes Qi Ming Aixinjueluo.
The naturalised citizen of Chinese descent received an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his service to police and National Fisheries Authority.
Public servants and other civil servants were also honoured for contributions to public service, community development, arts and culture, agriculture, business, education and sport.
Director of visits and accreditation protocol division of the Foreign Affairs Department Barbara Mimino was invested with an Imperial Service Order (ISO) for service to the public service.
Legendary local singer and musician Basil Greg was awarded a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his service to traditional music and culture.
Committed church workers and leaders were awarded for their service to the country.
Founder of the United Church Tatana Women Fellowship, Babau Dinabe Keru, was invested with a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) award for her service to fellowship
Rev Livai Wapia, Rev Joshua Maiyap and Mariana Maru from Assemblies of God Church were glad to have received their awards in the lead-up to the 70th anniversary of the Assemblies of God (AOG) Church in Papua New Guinea.
Wapia said all those years of commitment and sacrifice to establish churches, serve people and preach the Gospel had paid off, even though recognition was not what they were after.
Wapia received a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his services whileMaiyap and Maru each received a Member of the Order of the British Empire awards each for their service in religion.
Famous literary artist and pioneer PNG writer, Norah Vagi Brash, was supposed to receive a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) award, along with Minister for Works and Implementation and Mendi MP Michael Buku Nali, but they were both absent for the presentation.
Absent were Christopher Charles Abel, father of Deputy Prime Minister Charles Abel, and Melchior Pesa Togolo, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Bougainville Copper Ltd.
Abel and Togolo were the only two awardees to be knighted.
Abel was to be knighted for his service to the community through supporting rural agriculture extension and to citizen participation in business activity.
Togolo was knighted for his service to economic development in the mining and petroleum sectors and to the community.