Post Courier librarian logs 28 years

Passion and commitment working as a librarian archiving Papua New Guinea’s historical events recorded as news and pictures have made Lydia Veali, 56, from Babaka village in the Central Province a keeper of priceless history.

 

Based at Lawes Rd, Konedobu in Port Moresby and somewhat the beauty and queen of Post Courier, she has registered 28 years of loyal service to the company on August 17, 2020.

In 2017 she lost her husband and is now survived by two adult male children and grandchildren.

Something she is proud of and undoubtedly makes her happy, dressed and sparkled always during her work.

Everyone who has walked in and out of Post Courier surely remembers her face and her glows in the library.

“I see very important things here,” she said.

“We have calls from overseas from members who were here in the 1960’s and 70’s.”

“We have files here. It’s very important to keep these records.”

Out of the thousands of files and events, Veali attested the country’s independence event in 1975 is well kept at Post Courier library.

“We have the history here. We keep it,” she said.

She describes the historical information as a gold mine for the country.

Before she joined Post Courier in 1992 as a 28 year old, she was working at Burns Philip- a cash and carry chain of business and she was featured in a couple of advertisements in the newspaper promoting various electrical products.

Being at a privileged position now, she plucks out from the archives and marvels at her past in the advertisements.

 

Joining Post Courier she started as a receptionist for five years and later moved to being the librarian till now.

She said that’s the love of the job. “Few people come work, they go, they come back.”

She has appealed to young people to have commitment in their career.

Struggling to hide her tears, she removed her glassed and mentioned Aiteli Venudi who recently retired from Post Courier as a forklift driver.

He had clocked 50 years-just as old as Post Courier.

For Veali, she was not only an employee but a promoter of sports and actively gets involved even now at 56 and struggling with her knees.

Last year she led the Post Courier netball team to a grand final as player and coach.

She said: “I was popular in sports.”

“When  I came, I wasn’t new. I wasn’t new to sports reporters.”

She mentioned reporters Martin Liri, Sinclaire Solomon and photographers Auri Eva and William Williando to name a few.

Fifteen years repping PNG in netball, she retired after competing in the Mini South Pacific Games in Vanuatu in 1993, a year after she joined Post Courier.

Her international and local experience had been invaluable to Post Courier netball.

“I was coach and player at the same time,” she said.

Her late husband also took part in Post Courier’s social activities.

“Father was involved in company snooker team,”Veali said.

“He played with Blaise Nangoi.”

Few Papua New Guineans commit to one employer in their lifetime.

For her: “Well the company takes care of me. I like to thank the company for taking care of me.”

“I have been really loyal and committed to the company.”

Aside from working late to find priceless historical picture or news following a query, she is at netball.

Her young colleague Deborah Enaha and her on a daily basis archive news and pictures at the library.

They play a significant role assisting journalists and people querying about past news or photographs.

 

If you would like to seek historical information from Post Courier you best contact is lveali@spp.com.pg or call 3091000.

 

PNG female Elsie Albert to play in Australian league grand final

BY KEVIN TEME

PNG Oil Search Orchids Captain Elsie Albert has set history to be a first Papua New Guinea local woman to crack into the top Women’s rugby league competition in Australia.

 

Apart from Albert, overseas based Amelia Kuk made the lime light playing for the Brisbane Broncos and later played for the Aussie Roos (the Australian Women’s national rugby league team).

For the Pangia lass, her dream of playing overseas came through straight after leading the Orchids 20-16 over English (England) women in November last year and was signed up by the Souths Logan Magpies in the Holcim Cup in Brisbane.

Albert is among four PNG women including Therese Aiton, Amelia Kuk and Yvonne Dela Cruze all current Orchids players signed by Magpies in the season 2020 Holcim Cup.

The other notable PNG Orchid player is Gemma Schnaubelt playing for last year’s champion team, the West Brisbane Panthers.

In an exclusive interview in Brisbane today, Albert confirmed that they were three Australian women’s National Rugby League teams contacting her including New Zealand Warriors, Brisbane Broncos and St George Illawarra Dragons.

Despite the COVID-19 which nearly shattered Albert’s dream, she was able to extend her visa to complete her season with the Magpies.

Holcim Cup competition being one of the avenue for top NRL scouts, Albert’s performance week in and week out proved a handful and this has paved her way to be scouted by various NRL clubs.

It is certain that the Pangia lass from Southern Highlands will sign up with the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Although it’s not official as yet, sources within her team members confirmed that she has signed with one of the NRL clubs.

This is certainly a dream come true for her given her short One year stint With the Magpies.

Albert when contacted today said she was shocked when she received the phone calls but didn’t want to  break the news as it wasn’t yet official.

She said her visa was another obstacle and could not say much when this paper asked to confirm her signing with the Dragons.

However just today (yesterday), Albert received a call from the Foreign Affairs and Immigration department that her bridging visa was approved.

“ I just want to thank the good Lord almighty for listening to my prayers. I was worried that I will not be given a visa after I over stayed my visa due to Covid-19,” Albert said.

Despite battling to get her visa sorted out, Albert stood out in every game for the Magpies scoring tries in every game she played.

Her devastating form as well as a blistering form from her PNG play mates including Aiton, Kuk and Cruze made it also possible for the Magpies to go into the grand final this Saturday (tomorrow). Bears has won two of the three outing against the Magpies and will be out in full force to keep their dominance over the Magpies who proved all critics wrong to make the grand final this year.

For Albert, it’s a icing on the cake for her career given the fact she had never played a normal rugby league competition back in PNG.

Her call up to the Dragons is a boost also for her as she prepares to lead the Magpies into the grand final tomorrow.

Kairuku Hiri MP raise concerns about deteriorating road

 

The badly deteriorated Bereina to Malalaua highway finally got a mention in Parliament yesterday.

 

Kairuku Hiri MP Peter Isoaimo raised the issue in a series of questions directed to Works Minister Michael Nali eliciting a response that would anger most travelling Keremas and Mekeos who use the road.

Minister Nali said bureaucratic red tape has resulted in the World Bank knocking back the Work's Department's initial submission and another adjusted submission has been made.

The road, which connects Mr Isoaimo's Kairuku Hiri district with Kerema district, is the major road link for the people of Gulf travelling in and out of Port Moresby to Kerema and back.

Built by the Chan Haiveta government in the 1980s, Bereina to Malalaua was the first phase of a mooted national highway from link Port Moresby to Lae in Morobe via Malalaua.

However, the much talked trans island highway has been on the back burner while the initial sections have deteriorated badly especially between Bereina and Harisu.

"Are we going to have some funds allocated for the upkeep of this road for use by my people as well as Gulf as well as the developers who run along this road," he asked.

Mr Nali said that the road was to be upgraded under the second phase of a World Bank funded road rehabilitation project which covers the Vanapa Brown River section in Central and the Bereina Malalaua section.

"What has happened is that Department of Works, NPC, tender evaluation committee sat down and made a recommendation to the World Bank, the World Bank objected to the recommendation.

"So it was brought back again, re-evaluated and when the submission was made, something happened in between, and the very company that was recommended was somehow put off the list.

"We have identified the problem and it will re-submitted and hopefully world bank will agree that we proceed with the work, as soon as we get clearance, the work will start."

Where to find Victoria Bitter in Port Moresby

Melbourne's renowned beer VB is in Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby.

But not all pubs and hotel have it in stacks and in their coolers.

 

Just five minutes drive from Jackson's Airport in Port Moresby to the ever popular, but quite run down Granville Motel, you'd be surprised its popularity is more than the local SP.

And yes in slabs.

The Granville Motel welcomes you to an oasis in a desert in the heart of six mile.

Nice garden, with crotons, an open space and an ATM, you are in peace with the environment and can sip your VB.

 

A can of VB here is K8 and a six pack is K48.

When you're next in town and wants to quench your thirst with an Australian and Victorian best VB, check the Granville Motel

Covid-19 cases continue to increase in Papua New Guinea

 

PAPUA New Guinea has recorded another 52 new cases of COVID-19 since Thursday last week, with the total number of cases now at 323.

 

Out of these cases, 38 are from Western Province and 15 from the National Capital District.

 

 

“The new cases are linked to community transmission in NCD and a cluster of cases at the Ok Tedi mine,” said the National Pandemic Response Controller Mr David Manning.

 

Of the total cases, 221 are from NCD, 85 from Western Province, 5 from Morobe, 1 from West Sepik, 1 from Southern Highlands, 1 from New Ireland, 5 from Central, 2 from East New Britain, 1 from Eastern Highlands and 1 from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

 

“On Saturday, laboratories in Port Moresby and Brisbane completed 403 tests.

“Of those 52 have returned positive, so that brings the total numbers of test completed to date to 13, 361,” said Mr Manning.

 

The Brisbane laboratory is currently testing samples from Western Province, an arrangement funded by the Ok Tedi Mining Limited.

 

“It is the intention of the office of the Controller to be continually reviewing and improving our response through this Pandemic.

 

6.4 km Panapai Road upgrade launched in New Ireland

 “The Prime Minister of  Papua New Guinea said “ We will Take Back Papua New Guinea.” But here in New Ireland “ We have already taken back New Ireland.” These words by Governor Sir Julius Chan were met with rousing applause from the listening public at Panapai during the launching of the 6.4 km road opening on Friday 14^th August. 

The newly upgraded road took approximately 3 months to complete. Giving the people of Panapai a new outlook on life.

Witnessing the milestone occasion alongside the sparsely populated roads skirts were officials from the New Ireland Government, the National Department of Works, Binen construction representatives, 60 delegates from the Central LLG taking part in the New Ireland Governments community awareness program and the local community.

With perfect sunshine brimming through the surrounding evergreen forest Sir J declared “New Ireland is currently undergoing an unprecedented infrastructure revolution, with major road works and bridges occurring all over the Province. The last 10 years, have been the New Ireland Revolution. All these infrastructure projects taking shape is setting the stage for the future, for a self-reliant, Autonomous Region of Papua New Guinea, where New Irelanders will make decisions and have control over their own resources.”

He told the small population of Panapai that his Government does not discriminate when it comes to implementing policies and development projects. “The population at Panapai is small but that did not stop us from building this K800,000 road for you. Use it to better your lives. This government will always reach out to those in need as enshrined in our Malagan Declaration forward and the New Ireland Declaration, the further you are the more we care.”

Works Manager Solomon Pela said the condition of the road was a night mare when he first conducted his engineering scope of works so he understood the hardships of the people, walking long distances just to make it to the main Highway. “Gone are the days of Mother’s carrying their garden produce for long distances just to sell at the market. Gone are the days Transport owners endure the pain of paying high maintenance costs for their trucks and vehicles. Gone are the days of not being able to get to the hospital on time. Gone are the days of not going to school and gone are the days of Poverty. You are blessed to have visionary leadership leading your Province. I tell you other provinces are finding it difficult to deliver these type of projects because they don’t have the funding and clear infrastructure policy to do so. Planti long ol displa project em money bilong yupla yet insait long Province I kamapim,” said Pela.

A local woman speaking on behalf of all the women and children described the hardships they faced, “ Me laik tok Thank you, Thank you long yupla, Nau mipla lukim planti car gen run long wanpla day. Long wanem kain speed ol laik speed long em. Nau em easy long karim garden Kaikai bilong yumi long market.”

While a representative from construction company Binen engineering praised the locals for their cooperation, stating the company was fortunate not to have any compensation claims unlike other parts of the country.

Deputy Governor, Chairman of Infrastructure and Natural resources and President of Tikana LLG Hon. Sammy Missen relayed that K4.3 million has been invested in Tikana alone with the start of one of the biggest impact projects on the West Coast set to revolutionize travel within New Ireland. “The widening and sealing of the Fangalawa and Lamusmus Highway. West Coast Highway in the making.”

Hundreds of millions of kina has already been invested in improving the transport system in the province over the past 10 years. This year the New Ireland Government has invested K42 million on infrastructure in Kavieng District and K61.2 million on infrastructure in Namatanai District as per its 2020 Provincial budget.

Covid-19 statistics from Papua New Guinea

 

Correct statistics for Covid-19 cases as of yesterday Aug 12:  Over 11,920 persons tested for COVID-19. 269 have returned positive. Includes 78 persons who have fully recovered and 191 active cases.

The National Pandemic Response Control Centre has announced 55 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country yesterday, bringing the total to 269.

The cases being the single highest recorded in a day, include 18 from the National Capital District and 37 from Western Province.

The 18 cases from the city’s suburbs of Badili, Erima, Hohola, Tokarara, Kaugere, ATS, Sabama, Wanigela (Koki), June Valley and Boroko were recently tested at the Taurama Aquatic Drive through clinic and other urban clinics.

The Western Province samples were tested in Brisbane through an arrangement by the Ok Tedi Mining Limited.

More details about contact tracing and isolation of the contacts will be available today.

Controller of the National Pandemic Response Mr David Manning said, “As is our usual protocol we are continuing to trace close and casual contacts of those persons and test them for COVID-19. This has included household contacts of the cases.

“All close contacts of the 55 cases will remain in self-isolation for 14 days, regardless of their test result, and all will remain in self-isolation until they have the results of their test.

“As of today, we have confirmed Covid-19 cases in ten PNG provinces, including 206 in NCD, 5 in Central, 47 in Western, 4 in Morobe, 2 in East New Britain and 1 each in West Sepik, New Ireland, Southern Highlands, Eastern Highlands, and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.