I remain president: Hiarua

INCUMBENT Morobe Rugby Football Union president Avea Hiarua says he is still the head of the second largest union in the country.
Hiaru made the statement when responding to a media report that he was being kicked out by the presidents of the six clubs in the union.
The six clubs that attended a special general meeting on June 10 were Vikings, Unitech Reds, Pirates, Defence, City Lights and Royals. Harlequins was the only club that was not present at the meeting.
According to minutes of the meeting, the “undersigned agreed for the good of the MRFU for the immediate suspension of the current executives.”
The six clubs moved to suspend the current executives because the president did not consult with the clubs and opted to go to Port Moresby on two occasions to support the Steven Kami and Peter Tsiamalili Jr-led faction of the PNGRFU and not the Ben Frame faction.
The minutes also highlighted that MRFU had no sponsor, proper financial reports, proper management of games and insurance cover under the management of Hiarua.
Hiarua in response to the allegations, made his stance that the meeting that ousted him was illegal as he was not consulted to host it.
Hiarua told The National that he was not given a petition but only found out from the media.
“We have already had convened three meetings and the additional meeting is in my jurisdiction to convene and I have not called for that meeting. The illegal meeting is outside the constitution therefore our board and executives are still the legal body.”
However, the six clubs insist that they have had their say to remove Hiarua for not consulting them in some of his decisions.
The clubs’ presidents had elected Winston Nenjipa unopposed as interim president.
The Nenjipa faction also stated that this was the second time the president had gone to Port Moresby.
Hiarua said: “I went to Port Moresby this year not to support Kami and Tsiamalili but to have a convention as presidents of one group.
“MRFU alone does not make up PNGRFU as there are other unions that come together to make up PNGRFU.”
Hiarua said if all the other provincial unions are fighting for change why would Morobe sit and watch as if its players would not benefit when this fight was successful.
He said as long as provincial unions were fighting for change to see the game develop and progress, Morobe would play its part to support that change.