Soso takes up the good fight

 THE appointment of a new provincial administrator for Eastern Highlands has been a contentious issue for the province’s leaders and people.

They have waited for months for the National Executive Council to choose the right person for the job of administering the province’s public service machinery. Cabinet’s silence on the appointment has been deafening and added to the suspense that engulfed the province for most of this year.

Our Letters-to-the-Editor pages have been strewn with complaints about the prolonged delay in appointing the new administrator.

A letter by James Safanota of Goroka, on November 7, said: “I write this letter to challenge Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to tell the people of Eastern Highlands when we will have a permanent provincial administrator. Service delivery functions and mechanisms are at a snail’s pace because of this vacuum in the top bureaucratic post.”

Safanota echoed the sentiments and frustrations of many Eastern Highlanders who felt the O’Neill Government was giving them the runaround.  

Finally, the NEC made its long-awaited decision on Nov 26 and elevated a former Eastern Highlands deputy administrator, Solomon Tato, to the top job.

However, the appointment has not gone down well with Governor Julie Soso, who immediately accused Cabinet of making the decision without consultation with her provincial executive council (PEC)

“I’m very disappointed at the way in which the NEC has appointed a permanent provincial administrator for Eastern Highlands,” Soso said in Port Moresby on Wednesday.

The irate governor said the PEC had rejected Tato’s appointment and asked for a re-advertisement of the position. Soso revealed the new provincial administrator was being investigated for allegations made against him while serving in his previous position.

She did not reveal the nature of the allegations.

“I came in as governor in 2012 but the people still want to know what happened to those allegations,” Soso said.

“Therefore, I think the NEC decision to appoint Solomon Tato was not in consultation with me, the governor, as the Public Service Management Act says.

“I will allow for investigations to continue. We’d like to see transparency and accountability. And if the Government is serious about fighting corruption, the NEC should uphold my PEC decision.”

Soso’s disappointment is understandable given the PEC’s clearly defined role in making recommendations for such appointments.

Seemingly, the NEC de­cided not to accept the PEC’s recommendation and to make matters worse for Soso, it decided to appoint an officer who was being investigated.

Something must have gone wrong somewhere between Goroka and Waigani because the PEC and NEC are not seeing eye-to-eye on this contentious issue.

What is the reasoning behind Cabinet’s decision to appoint a permanent provincial administrator who is being investigated for cer­tain allegations made against him in his previous position?

It certainly doesn’t make sense, especially to Governor Soso who feels the NEC has pulled the rug from under her feet.

Interestingly, another letter on the opposite page says, “The NEC’s decision of Nov 26 to appoint this man (Tato) as PA for EHP is just because Governor Julie Soso deserted the O’Neill regime to team up with the opposition.”

It’s hardly surprising that people will look deeper into such issues and question the rationale behind the decisions.

Whatever the reasons for choosing Tato as the new permanent provincial administrator, the NEC and the O’Neill Government are likely to face a backlash from Eastern Highlanders around the country.

Governor Soso is held in high esteem by her people and her recent move to the opposition was welcomed by many. As a newcomer to the political arena, Soso has quickly learnt to manoeuvre her way around the corridors of power in Waigani.

The NEC’s snub of Soso’s recommendation for provincial administrator could have signalled the start of tough times ahead for the country’s only female governor. Despite the odds, Soso seems determined to stand her ground and face the challenges.