Reflecting childhood memories of a visit

Weekender

By PAUL MINGA
THE buzzing helicopter took my childhood attention unexpectedly by storm in offloading PNG’s first PM Michael Thomas Somare was at where the now Kerowil Singirok PNGDF Engineering Battalion Highlands base is.
Every Papua New Guinean born before or after independence has their own story to share, reflect, reminisce, highlight or tell others about their encounter or sighting of their country founding PM – the Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare.
I was born sometimes around 1973 and was fortunate to have caught sight of my country’s first PM for the first time as a six or seven year old boy at Kerowil – a place that hosted the North and South Waghi LLG Council chambers and Kerowil Community School in the Waghi Valley in the late 70s.
It was sometime in 1979 or 1980 as I can’t really recall the exact year or date for I was an out-of-school boy at that time.
News and remours of the PM and the local MP Kaibelt Diriye’s visit to Kerowil was spreading fast in the village a few days earlier and every grownup was really excited about the occasion and eager as ever to see their PM and their local MP.
My peers and I did not care so much about all the fuss going on in the village about the PM’s visit to Kerowil as our minds and interest were focused on different childhood activities at the time.
Anyway, a day before Somare and our local MP’s visit to Kerowil, I could still remember that evening when mum said to me, “It’s your golden chance to see the country’s big men coming to Kerowil tomorrow; your dad and everyone else are going. You must go along with dad and see Michael Somare the country’s boss.”
This sounded like something of interest to me. What mum told me that evening was something of interest and it made me question dad repeatedly if the two of us were for certainly going to Kerowil together the next day to see Michael Somare.
Dad knew how eager and anxious I was that evening and night so he promised to take me along to the big occasion the next day. That evening I went to bed on my canvas and cardboard bed as excited as ever.
The mood I was in was just the same as when there is going to be a pig killing ceremony to be held in the morning the next day. In the early morning hours of the next day, village elders and chiefs were shouting out announcements and reminding every able person to leave behind whatever planned activity for the day and be all in attendance at Kerowil for the PM’s visit.
On that day, those who had planned activities and shows to entertain the crowd and welcome the PM and his delegation got themselves prepared early in the early morning hours and were all congregating into Kerowil for the occasion.
The day was as exciting and fascinating for a out of school boy as me in seeing some villagers in traditional attire acting as comedian from their rehearsal of different activities and show they were planning to stage at Kerowil for the occasion. There were much in store to see and enjoy that day as l followed dad and we made a journey of less than 10 kilometers walk to Kerowil from our village.
Upon our arrival at Kerowil it was something of real spectacular beyond my imaginations with the singing, plays and staging of show by different cultural and comedian groups, brass band, posing of early explorer Jim Taylor “Burukim Bus” scene and other entertainment and activities were as a lead up into the main occasion of the PM Michael Somare’s visit.
I thought to myself, wow what a scene and what a day. One funny thing about myself, l wasn’t aware that the PM and the local MP were to be flown into Kerowil in a chopper. Even my dad wasn’t aware about that too.
Dad and l were not made aware of PM Somare coming by air to Kerowil in a chopper. We were enjoying a good time away in fully concentrating on all the show and amushing and entertaining activities that were going on.
All the singing, the beating of drums and yelling and shouting of the crowd made the place became deafening and we couldn’t hear the chopper coming in to land. As the chopper came near, all of a sudden people called out in our vernacular, “Hoi wonum, wonum! meaning “its coming, its coming!
At that instant people were bumping into each other amongst the crowd in trying to make way for the chopper to land on the field.
It was rather funny because the crowd were also not aware of the incoming chopper and they were also taken by surprise.
There were stampedes at certain points on the field. Dad and I went around holding hands at the time were being pushed over in the melee and stampede.
I fell down but dad stood up firm and pulled me up again. I was confused of the crowd action and stampede thinking that a mad man was chasing the crowd and they acted in such a manner to escape from the mad man. But it wasn’t as I thought but it was the landing chopper that brought PM Somare its swirling propellers sent flying sticks, leaves and other objects hitting the onlookers’ face forcing them to take cover. It was a hilarious melee.
This funny incident I still recall to this day as a middle aged person. However, as soon as the chopper made the touch down at Kerowil Community School playing field, it was somelike me who had never seen a landed chopper in my lifetime. I stood in awe with eyes wide open.
It was as a real opportune time for me to get a glimpse of the landing craft at that time during the country founding PM’s visit. I gazed at the chopper with a rapid heartbeat to see what would eventuate next and out came a white pilot and then a man whose name I used to hear a lot about in a grey laplap type garment and shirt followed by our local MP Kaibelt Diriye and one other person.
That was as my very first time to see our founding Prime Minister Michael Thomas Somare at Kerowil as an out-of-school boy in the late 70s.
Thank you Papa Somare for paying a visit to my village and in appointing two Jiwaka local MPs, Kaibelt Diriye as Minister for Post and Telegram and Thomas Kavali as Minister for Lands, in those formative years in the Legislative House of Assembly.
We the Jiwaka people share together with you the Somare family sorrow and sadness in this time of mourning for our founding father.
He will long be remembered for his work.
Rest in eternal peace, Papa.


Sent by God, nature affirms

By HELEN TARAWA
HE truly was God-sent and nature confirmed it.
With rain clouds forming around Wewak, the heavens already opened up in the other parts of the township except Sir Michael Somare Stadium.
It was the venue of the funeral service led by the Catholic Church prior the burial.
They came from all over East Sepik to witness the whole process from arrival of late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare at the Boram Airport to his final resting place at Kreer Heights.
When Sir Michael signed the covenant with Israel some years ago, it was a promise and next to the old King James Version of the Bible in the chamber of the National Parliament Sir Michael wrote: “There is no other God except the God of this Bible.”
Tribute after tribute kept pouring in saying God had ordained Sir Michael and chose him to be the leader that took pre-independence PNG from 1973 to independence in 1975.
Former Chief Secretary to Prime Minister and National Executive Council Robert Igara, speaking on behalf of the leaders of Milne Bay, said that Sir Michael had a special place for Milne Bay.
“We remind ourselves of our covenant that our fathers and mothers offered in May 1975 in the constituted assembly.
“That covenant is the constitution of PNG which came alive on the first day at midnight on September 16, 1975.
“The moment our nation was born, and we became free, we became Papua new Guineans and we were no longer natives and slaves on our own land.
“Out that House of Parliament, our Milne Bay father, Sir John Guise became the first Governor-General of PNG, exercising all the privileges and powers, functions, duties and responsivities of the head of state of PNG, symbolic by constitutional for one the governor-general must act in accordance with the advice from prime minister.
“At the same time on independence, our Grand chief Sir Michael Somare became the prime minister and head of government of our nation, establishing new institutions of state, especially the public services constitutional officers as well as new policies.
The relationship between Sir Michael and Sir John Guise from the mid-1960s to self-governance in 1973 into independence in 1975 and was really a special one.
“This is a special relationship and its fitting that this national and historical haus krai was held in the House named after him Sir John Guise Stadium.
“That relationship or partnership also extended to why Grand Chief Somare held regarding the elders and our people of Milne Bay.
“Grand chief and our founding fathers and mothers have already prepared the work and the journey now we the next generation must take on this job.
“By faith he answered God’s call, led our people on a journey, Michael Somare, he led us out of slavery into freedom, he was God sent.
“He was like Joshua leading the Israelites out of Egypt to the promise land. Grand chief was Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon but he was Michael Thomas Somare, a Papua New Guinean,” Igara said.
Prime Minister James Marape said Sir Michael was among the leaders of the nation that held and united our country and he remains a great unifying force in our country and even in death Somare is uniting our country.
“Politicians of every province, leaders of every tribe, and various diversities we had blend together and Hela and Southern Highlands laying aside our, tribal, cultural and political differences for us to come in unison is a symbol of the man, the leaders who held our country together.
“This is evident that the country has come together in unison and may we leave with the spirit of unity that Somare even in passing continues to bind us together.
“As we lament over the loss of our first prime minister and father of the nation, let us also draw from the spirit of unity, even at his passing draws together a nation of a thousand tribe together.
“May that spirit of unity prevail right through and take us beyond.
“Let’s rise above our individual culture and bind and glue into one family of nation behind that red, black, five white stars and the yellow flag and the constitution that Sir Michael gifted us in 1975,” Marape said.
Reggie Guise, son of Sir John Guise, first Governor-General of PNG who was in Wewak this week to witness the burial of Sir Michael said he interacted with Sir Michael in 1972, 1982, 1992.
“It is coincidence. In 1972, I met Sir Michael, two years later we gained independence. In 1982 I served the people of Wewak as manager of Douglas Airways and met him here.
“I met Sir Michael after 10 years in 1992 during the death of Jack Genia in Lalaura village, he went to also say hello to his friend Sir John on the hill.
“When I heard that you were bringing him back to Wewak I was glad because you will owe him.
“Coincidently one of the negotiators of Sir Rabbie Namali when he was prime minister was Sir Michael.
“We eventually knew why my father wanted to be buried in Lalaura in Abau instead of Milne Bay where he comes from and my family and I have access to him every day.
“Thank you Central Governor Robert Agarobe for inviting me to Wewak, this was the only opportunity I would have had to meet and talk to Arthur and Sana Somare,” Reggie said.
Veni Diro, son of retired Brigadier General Ted Diro, former army commander said he was born in Wewak when his father was a young lieutenant.
“At that time those ties between my father and Sir Michael were forged.
“Kudos to Sir Michael, what I take back from here is the utmost respect the people of East Sepik the residents of Wewak and the Somare family have for him.
“They have been brought up by PNG and we pay respect to the chief and on behalf of my fathers’ family we mourn with them but we also congratulate them for this historic moment.
“I’m grateful to be given this opportunity, it’s sad but its history in the making, there will never by anything like this ever, in PNG and the Pacific, South East Asia,” Veni said.
Arthur explained that Sir Michael wanted to be laid to rest on Kreer Heights because from the hill looking down on a fine day, you can see the salt water from the Murik lakes come out onto the sea.
Sana said the position that Sir Michael was laid would be facing North-South so when the sun rises, they can see it and when it sets they can also see it and it’s a great view,” he said.
PNG is a special nation and very fortunate that God had a plan for this country and appointed a young man from Murik Lakes and called him by name Michael Thomas Somare as he did for Abraham in the bible.
He lived a legacy that will forever be remembered by the many generations to come.

One thought on “Reflecting childhood memories of a visit

  • If we knew was sent by God, then everything should start with God & finish with Him, this did not eventuate, God we serve is righteous & Holy so I believe we have made a mistake……..

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