Temu overlooked by PM

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ABAU MP Sir Puka Temu says that he was not consulted by Prime Minister James Marape before the “K10 million on research proposals was brought before the National Executive Council”.
In a stunning admission, the health minister said Marape had brought the papers for research and presented them to the National Executive Council.
“Without consulting me, the most experienced health minister in this country, he put my name as a co-sponsor and brought the decision to NEC on the so-called K10 million on those research proposals,” Sir Puka said.
“Being a good citizen and believing in cabinet solidarity, I had to stand with him to defend that decision but I cannot keep on doing that.”
“The other leaders have mentioned that is not the way to be the chairman of the NEC.”
Marape’s deputy Sam Basil said the recent decision by the NEC on the K10mil was done without proper consultation of the cabinet ministers.
On Nov 5, Marape announced that Cabinet had approved K10.2 million to assist in Covid-19 drug research, procurement of sampling of drugs and the development of research laboratories.
“The funding may also be used on the trial of drugs if approved by the Health Department, it is a genuine pursuit by some of our own young scientists and doctors,” he had said. However, many other medical doctors and the general public called for an explanation on the company Niugini Biomed Limited (NBL) and the research team.
NBL chairman Dr Bomai Kerenga defended the company, saying that “local scientists currently conducting a Covid-19 therapeutic approach in PNG”.
“The K10 million funding proposal submitted to the NEC was to buy equipment,” he added.

20 comments

  • BNL executives must return the K10.2 million before BN’s team get into government to save any prosecution.
    If Marape publicly apologies and reverses the decision to award the funding to NBL, he will save his government. Some members will return to his team and will avoid VONC.
    Otherwise, his statement above is implying he has lost the government.

  • Come on Puka Temu (don’t deserve to be addresed as “Sir”), what a lame excuse. You were previously bulldozed many times when you were under the former PM, yet you see fit to use that excuse. You have only yourself to fool and not us Papua New Guineans.
    There was a documentary about your electorate ABAU district and it touched me, that there is hardly any development out there and their MP is the most experienced health minister of PNG as he has claimed. No medical drugs, no roads and services. What a shame

    • I agree with Pekzman on the not so industrious Puka Temu and his passing the buck personae. Having traveled many many times to Coco land and Bonanamo in Rigo, the roads are non existent, no road work to Bonanamo for twenty years! Puka has been to busy taking new wife’s in his area and setting up houses for them to worry about the people who voted him in.
      Shame on you Puka for even using the word Honorable in front of your name, you lost your respect when you you went against what you preached when you were a preacher, one man one wife, not one man four wives. your words not mine.
      I wander if you have a conscience? i doubt it, one can only hope that you are kicked out of the Government.

  • I’m sure that decision can be reversed and monies returned.NEC, was responsible to reject such deal, whatever happened in the NEC is only known to you NEC members.

    For PK and team who crossed the floor and used such excuses outlining Pogera issue,bad economic management is very childish.We can only assume looking at you 15 who crossed have retaliated for various reasons maybe a few were decommissioned as ministers from your portfolio’s.

    What we are seeing this present time is due to bad economic management by successive government over time.You are all responsible.

  • We’ve heard similar excuses before. Can they trust their colleagues for once and work as a team for the good of this country? BN has set a record of sorts as the one politician who broke up two governments and changed 3 Prime Ministers if this one goes through. God bless this country!

  • Come on Puka Temu,

    Tell the truth. You have allegations of corruption laid against you.

    It was too late when you knew that the ICAC Bill was passed by the Parliament to put guys like you on trials and behind bars.

    So, you played it out very well (but you can’t fool some of us) by moving to the Opposition to make numbers to form the Government so that the ICAC Bill will be tabled again in Parliament during the next Parliament sitting in future to be revoke (the ICAC Bill) to protect your greed and malpractices as a Member of Parliament.

    The Principle of Showing and Reaping. You will reap what you sow.

  • I’m puzzled with these politicians that jump ship, what will you achieve in the next 1 year leading up to the National elections by jumping ship. Especially the ones with ministries, you have the opportunity to improve or deliver to PNG at your ministries in the next 1 year but you decided not too. OK, A new Govt will be formed under new leadership and then what, what are your plans to deliver to PNG within this 1 year? Will that make any difference to what the current Govt is already doing. The logic is we have 1 more year before the next election let the current Govt finish what they started and the New govt can be formed after the national elections. Unless you have hidden motives other than what you telling us.

  • Sir PT is too good to be called a fool to his own cheap sarcastics words. Just tok stret you a yoyo power hungry MP without proper visions and plans. This is evident in your electorate. You have done very poorly and nothing to show for on the grounds.

  • O’Neal’s decision has landed him in court and out as PM, Marape too must answer this too in court, who knows he might loose the top job.

    There are better PM candidates whom I think can make a difference with the likes of; Juffa, Bird, Krammer, these leaders put the interest of their people and their country first before their own. When they see something wrong they tell it to your face pitting their personal lives at risk but they still do it.
    Mow that is true leadership

  • As a reader, I can’t connect with the reason given by Sir Puka Temu to leave government and join ranks with the opposition. There’s no feeling of connection with this reason leaving only a lot to doubt and question.
    Running back to a NEC dictatorship? Does that really justify the reason given?
    Why changing ships right after the ICAC Bill was passed?

  • He is not a Politician ,but a professional yoyo that swung to where the goodies are. No wonder he was ignored in Marape’s gov’t. His legacy is bad as a soar grape. I think it’s high time for him to leave politics.

  • Prime Minister Marape needs to wake up. If he had some significant achievements he could point to, he would be in a strong position to win against a Vote of No Confidence. The problem is he has been slow to move forward with the major multinational corporations like Exxon Mobil and Barrick. Barrick is the biggest employer in the country with 2700 employees. That project has been dead in the water right now because of Marape’s refusal to cut a deal that is win/win for both sides. Barrick is now ready to negotiate at terms that would give PNG (including national, provincial and landowners) anywhere from 45%-57% control of the Porgera gold mine.

    PM Marape has also been inflexible with Exxon Mobil, who has invested US$19B (K50B) in PNG, the biggest investment ever in PNG. There are now new Exxon Mobil projects in PNG ready to move forward, such as P’nyang. Exxon has already invested K10B in these new projects. PM Marape should have had a deal worked out by June 2020, but he dropped the ball. Why has he been unable to negotiate a fair deal? His socialistic outlook is getting in the way. He is now at risk of losing his leadership role as Prime Minister. If he would finalise negotiations with Barrick and Exxon in one month, by December 20, he will have a good chance of retaining his role as Prime Minister.

  • Puka Temu as a senior clinician in the 1990s has been vocal on national health issues including the emergence of lifestyle diseases as a Internal Security Threat to the state of PNG. He wrote an article in the PNG Medical Journal in 1991 highlighting his concern.

    He thereafter became a two term health secretary when our healthcare system standard started to decline. He wasn’t able to steer the sinking ship under his watch. Then he became a politician and immediately NA government appointed him the Health Minister when the healthcare system sank already. He never had the courtesy to bring back the standard. Over his 15 years he was Health Minister thrice including this term.

    The reason for this appointments in regard to his performances over the years is left wanting.

    During the Covid Epidemic he remained silent on the evidences that became available since the start of the epidemic to be able to advice the PM about possible actions. Instead he remained silent behind the back of a police officer who knows nothing about Medicine.

    PT failed his Australian attempts at Fellowship an highest Clinical Medicine Certification.

    He was a failure professionally and administrative and today a political failure.

    Looking today through this can tell who PT is: A total Failure

    Dr.Leslie Bahn Kawa UK

  • What fools we have in this country ,People who make a lot of noise like empty drums and sounding cymbals without thinking ,Look around you if there was no crazy test and research on how to fly plane in the past we,shouldn’t be flying in planes today ,people did crazy things that is why we have sophisticated flying machine today as a country we need to make some tough decision ,some crazy decision ,you have to test the waters to see. We cant be users ,we need to be producers ,we have more to contributed to the world,we have more to give to the world,all we have to do is get out of that nutshell,get out of our nervousness,our insecure and mature ways of thinking lets to crazy science,lets build build engines lets do anything ,We will and can still do it ,We are resilient ,crazy thinking,never say die Melanesian we will do it…Please stop negativity all the time ….

  • The worst ever leader I can imazing. Teaching in the Abau District where Parents, students and Stake holders face challenges respectively everyday. Someone silly like you appointed you and being knighted is political and no proper assessment and supervision was done. You just a simple piece of shit.. Mr Temu. Not even a Sir. Its just another fairy tale for 4 terms in the Parliament. Abau people suffer on…

  • Sir Temu for Abau and PNG. Whatever , he is one the leaders so be selective in what we expose to the media.

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