SHP locals lock out officer

A GROUP of people have locked out the new caretaker administrator for Southern Highlands Ambeli Keleli, according to reports from Mendi.   
Community leader Gilbert Pospea said the villagers decided to close the doors after Governor Anderson Agiru conducted a provincial executive council meeting from 10pm on Friday to 4am on Saturday.
Pospea said the people were not happy that the council saw fit to hold a meeting at such odd hours when everyone was asleep. 
No comment could be obtained from Agiru yesterday.
Pospea said the people were fed up with such practices and decided that Keleli should not take up the administrator’s post until proper processes were followed.
He advised leaders to leave public servants alone who were there to deliver government services to the people, and that appointments should follow due processes – not holding meetings at night and appointing people.
He wanted to know why a PEC meeting was conducted in the night – which was something new to the people of Southern Highlands.
“What sort of PEC and what kind of meeting is that to hold such an important meeting in the odd hours unless they had something to hide?
“Only thieves and people with dubious motives operate at such odd hours,” Pospea said.
He urged Agiru to tell the people of Southern Highlands the purpose and the motive behind that PEC meeting held in the night.
It has been reported that the Public Service Commission had referred to the PEC only two of the short-listed applicants – plus a third person not even short-listed for the provincial administrator’s position.
He said if that was true, then something was definitely wrong because everyone knew that the PSC shortlisted five and recommended five people – not three.
 “If these allegations are true, it is obvious that someone or some people have seriously undermined the selection and appointment processes.
“They have removed all the principles of merit-based selection for the particular post,” Pospea said.