A province not too highly acclaimed in the development index, West Sepik though has become famous in the last decade playing some influential roles in the making or breaking of Papua New Guinea governments.
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| Vanimo (Lido) village in the foreground and Vanimo Town at the back |
Belden Namah, a former army captain in the PNG Defence Force and nicknamed "Skull" is undoubtedly a name indelibly inked to the province as a mover and shaker of PNG politics.
He is the incumbent Member of Parliament representing the people of Vanimo Green River district.
Vanimo Green River comprises the local level governments of Vanimo Urban, Bewani Wutung Onei, Walsa, Amanab and further south and inland from Vanimo is Green River.
Namah is also the Opposition Leader and he served almost more than 10 years in the opposition.
At one instance, he was "one man" opposition.
A son of a laymen in the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church from Somboi village, Bewani in the hinterland south of Vanimo, he says he fears no one but God.
He was one of the pioneers of Vanimo Provincial High School and then attended Sogeri National High School before joining the PNGDF cadet program and studied at the Royal Military College, Duntron in Canberra.
He became famous during the Sandline crisis when him and other soldiers forced Sandline mercenary boss Tim Spicer to leave Papua New Guinea.
Namah was later charged with mutiny, found guilty by the court and sentenced to prison.
He was paroled in 2003 and pardoned by GC Sir Michael Somare in 2005.
He became so involved with landholders of logging projects in the Vanimo TRP area and Amanab FMA protesting against Vanimo Forest Products and demanding the Provincial Forest Management Committee (PFMC) award logging licences to landowner companies.
Namah became powerful with money and was chartering Air Niugini Fokker 100's to Vanimo frequently in leading two years before 2007.
The Momase region volleyball tournament was hosted in Vanimo mid 2007 and Namah was the major sponsor.
Riding on his fame as a local who joined other military personnel and went against a government decision, kicking out Sandline-Namah's fame grew more and more.
He contested the Vanimo Green River open seat endorsed by Sir Michael Somare's National Alliance Party and won.
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