Trouble in Hela

By MALUM NALU
HELA Governor Francis Potape is wrong to suspend provincial administrator William Bando because only Cabinet has the power to do that, a senior public servant says.
Personnel Management Secretary John Kali said Potape did not have the power to suspend Bando.
“Governors don’t have the power to suspend (provincial administrators),” Kali said.
“Only the NEC (National Executive Council) has (the power to suspend provincial administrators).”
Potape, pictured, said he was finding it difficult, since he was appointed governor on Sept 13, 2016, to work with Bando.
Thus the provincial executive council decided to suspend him for failing to heed their directives and Potape’s.
“I have encountered many difficulties in trying to work with provincial administrator Bando, as the administrative head of the Hela provincial administration,” he said.
Potape claimed that the provincial administration was in “disarray and total mess” under Bando.
He also accused him of failing to provide acquittals for “millions of kina”.
“As a result of these and other matters, it has become necessary for the PEC (provincial executive council) to suspend William Bando as the provincial administrator, pending investigations into serious disciplinary offences and charges,” Potape said.
“I want to make it clear that the suspension has been made more necessary and urgent because the PA, as chairman of the (provincial) elections steering committee, has not held any meeting to prepare Hela for the 2017 general election.
“Hence, that is why the suspension of the PA was immediately necessary so that someone can take control of the elections’ steering committee.
“Time is a scare commodity so the committee can be convened to provide the necessary support to the Electoral Commission to prepare Hela for the elections.”
Potape said on April 7, he had served Bando the charges but there was no response.
“The grounds of suspension are based on serious disciplinary offences relating to deliberate lack of cooperation with the government of the day, failure to heed or obey PEC decisions and directions applied by me as governor,” Potape said.
He said the non-acquittal of funds was significant.
“These are some of the charges of disciplinary offences that the PA has been charged within the process for suspension,” the governor said.