Wingti’s aide honoured with Logohu Award

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PARAKA Nii, a long-time local-level government president in Western Highlands, has been admitted to the exclusive club of the Logohu chieftaincy.
Nii and Bishop David Piso, the head of the Gutnius Lutheran church, were both named Chief of the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu in the 43rd independence anniversary awards.
Paraka, 85, currently serves as chairman assisting the Governor of Western Highlands Paias Wingti.
He is the finance committee chairman in the Baiyer local-level government.
A devout member of the Baptist Union Church, he hails from Kwipbout in Kumbirita, Baiyer Lumusa.
Paraka has five wives who are all living. They have, among them, borne him 25 children who have given him 61 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Nii and Piso were among 73 people who were recognised for their services to the country, in this year’s Independence Day Anniversary Honours List.
Chief Paraka attended Prep One and Prep Two schools at Kumbirita under the Australian Baptist Church agency school.
Around 1957, he worked as a garden boy for the Baiyer Cattle Rangers and later engaged as a medical orderly by the Baptist church.
In 1962, he was appointed “boss boi” to Luluai Kombio Lake. In this capacity, a sort of executive officer under today’s arrangements, he supervised construction of the Hagen to Baiyer road, the Baiyer to Lumusa road and the establishment of the Baiyer River Cattle range.
He was elected in 1967 as a ward councillor for his combined tribes soon after the establishment of the Baiyer LLG. He served as councillor continuously for 51 years.
He has served in the Melpa Area Authority representing his LLG and has served in various senior roles in the provincial government.
In 1995 he was awarded an MBE, and was awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal in 2000 and the 30-year Independence Anniversary Medal in 2005.