Have you campaigned well during the Moresby Northwest by election?

Forty-two candidates, one seat.

That's democracy.

Only one female candidate in former senior public servant Anna Kavana Bais.

There was never a report about incidents of candidates and political groups clashing.

Used to be quite common in the highlands region pre- LPV system was used.

Well I guess with no violence- that's one of the advantages of LPV voting since its introduction in 2007.

Now moving forward with the one day polling scheduled for Wednesday, June 2, 2021- how have the candidates performed on their campaign trails?

I have only heard about Lohia Boe Samuel, Anna Bais, Zechariah Yakap, Jackson Kiakari, Thaddeus Kambanei, Sengol Parkop, Walter Yangomina and former NCD City Manager Leslie Alu.

Where are the others?

The latest I noticed, well just yesterday through an EMTV advert is the candidate for Charles Abel's Our Development Party in Tagaro Asiba.

All the others were through social media Facebook except for Sergie Otio, a poster on a mountain frame parked daily at the drive in to Moni Plus and Garden Hills.

Well for most I haven't heard them speak. I think one of the attributes of being a politician is to have an excellent ability to speak well.

I will post next sharing my opinions on why to be successful one has to use all mediums to campaign and promote your policies.

A bus accident in Port Moresby near the Boroko Foodworld (POM in pictures)

 A bus accident near the Boroko Foodworld at Gordons this afternoon held traffic up a bit more than usual. 

Just some afternoon pictures.

Indonesian intelligence report says PNG based militant group enlisting people to fight for West Papua's Independence

 Post Courier reports that intelligence information from Indonesian officials say militant groups are on a recruitment drive in several provinces in Papua New Guinea.

The recruitment for militia training and taking up arms is to join the fight for West Papua's push for Independence from West Papua.

A fight that has been going on since August 4, 1969 following the controversial Act of Free Choice.

The recruitment are taking place in West Sepik, East Sepik, Madang, Southern Highlands and Western Province, say Indonesian officials.

Papua New Guinea is conducting its own investigations and this followed a public social media video that went viral when a group of men in military camouflages claimed to be from the East Sepik said in "Tok Pisin" they were on a mission to support West Papua gain Independence.

Indonesian officials have told Post Courier that there are West Papuans residing in East Sepik providing military and combat training to those who have been influenced and converted.

Their main launch area will be in West Sepik.

Many years ago in the early to mid 1980's in West Sepik, people at the border from Imonda, Amanab, Bewani and Green River were heavily involved in what was called "wok bembe" to support West Papuans gain Independence.

Men would leave their villages and wives and spend months in the jungles that were quite closed then as opposed to today.

The zeal and passion for the mission may be there and if the intelligence information is true, what would be interesting is how would they engage, as opposed to the 80's.

Indonesia's TNI are reported to have beefed up surveillance and military presence at the border with PNG in West Sepik following the viral video of militant group.

Indonesian officials have also told Post Courier that they are keeping a close eye on West Papua leaders who have in recent times visited PNG.

West Papua Governor who is a Melanesian attempted to cross into PNG at Wutung during Covid-19 lockdown but was stopped and taken back to Jayapura few months back.

He is reported to have wanted to seek medical help in PNG.

A report by the PNG intelligence team will be handed to Prime Minister James Marape, Post Courier says.

Serious adequate response needed to induct Port Moresby bus drivers

Yesterday, police in Port Moresby went to their social media page and appealed to bus owners to educate their drivers about road safety.

This came about as a result of a bus with crashing with a semi trailer along the busy Waigani Drive at Stop and Shop, Waigani Central.

See picture below

The following notice was then put up by police on their social media page:

TOK LUKAUT IGO PAS LONG OL PMV DRAIVA NA BOS KRU:

"Sapos yu wanpla papa or mama bilong PMV bas, yu mas harim gut dispela toksave.

Yu mas toksave long draiva na bos kru bilong yu, long lukautim gut laip bilong ol yet na bilong ol pasindia, taem oli draiv insait long siti.

Wanpla eksident ibin kamap tete klostu long Waigani Stop 'N' Shop, bas stop, bikos draiva ino draiv gut na kamapim displa birua.

Plis tingim laip bilong yu yet na bilong ol narapla man or meri husat kalap insaet long PMV bas."

National Capital District Commission, National Road Safety Authority and Police traffic must now develop a new policy to curb the lawlessness that the bus drivers have been more like law unto themselves.

They are road traffic hazards to other road users and the passengers they carry.

Set conditions that

• All bus drivers will have to undergo a two weeks induction on road safety rules and traffic rules before they can be issues a certified pass to operate as a bus driver in Port Moresby
• They must carry this pass all the time with their licence when they operate
• The 'bos kru' must also under the two weeks training which can be run quarterly in a year

Issues that road users notice from the bus drivers today are

• Double parking
• Picking and dropping passengers at middle of roads holding traffic, not using bus stops
• Speeding using inside lanes and wanting to cross abruptly to outside lane bus stop
• Queue jumping from outside walkways or by passes like the one from Waigani Central to freeway. They cut in near the tunnel after raging through the by pass.

While we try and appeal to owners of buses, the onus is on police traffic to adequately enforce rules or laws.

A communications strategy and plan must be activated and communicated to these people who seem to think there is no law.

If we missed a generation, that is a big issue trying to get them back in line and we are stressed with issues.

The police department must ensure there is budget for education and awareness every year.

Essentially I agree, we need to get our drivers inducted to comply with traffic or road safety rules.

Housing challenges: Any aspiring politician talking about it?

Housing issues in Port Moresby is an old story.

Many working class families budget are hard hit by rentals and the consequence is the take home pay is very low despite a possibly higher salary than average Papua New Guinean.

The minimum wage rate is K3.50 per hour.

Rentals in Port Moresby average around K3,000 to K4,000 per month for a decent three bedroom apartment or house.

If you earn K80,000 per annum as your gross salary.

Forty percent of that (K32,000) can go to rentals as salary sacrifice.

Your salary would be around K48,000 but it seems there would be shortfall so you'd have to pluck another K4,000 from your salary to meet your rental for the year if it was at K3,000 per month.

But on a serious note, not many people earn around K80,000 per annum.

Rentals have soared exponentially during the construction period of the PNG LNG project pushing many average income earners in public and private sector to "bunk up" or stressfully rent a room in settlements or illegal buildings around town at rates of K300 to K500 per fortnight.

That was even the case pre-LNG construction so we were into this doldrum, an already depressing situation well before.

Imagine the rates mentioned were just at a rate for a room, not a whole house where one would call home.

The government has been called on to look into housing issues but I rather think the private sector should also help in alleviating this.

Many city residents who make this city function also live in settlements.

Many contribute to making thousands or millions for companies that allow their managers to live in posh locations.

It's time to make sure, everyone is equally afforded a decent housing to be regarded a home, make families happy that they have space.

Elections and we hardly hear candidates talk about how they are addressing housing issues.

The working class must ask about this.

If they have not, I am asking through this medium.

Did any candidate for the Moresby Northwest by-election highlight what he or she would do to address this.

Housing and settlement expansions are big challenges for the city that must be addressed appropriately and gradually now or we face a problem in future.

Alarm bells have already sounded that we have a problem.

Please address housing woes and bring rentals down.

If we cannot do this, we got to increase wage rate so residents can afford to live in a decent place that is truly expensive.

Education Minister Jimmy Uguro to meet country's inspectors and education advisers

Minister for Education Hon. Jimmy Uguro, MP is pleased to meet all school inspectors and provincial education advisers for the first time since he took office as the new Minister in January this year. 

The inspectors and the PEAs will be here in Port Moresby for the week-long joint National Ratings Conference on Monday, May 24 – Friday, May 28. 

“Inspectors play a very important role in our national education system. 

The work they do informs the government of the progress in education,” the Minister said. 

The Department of Education is implementing a number of very important policies and programs which were developed using funds and resources provided by the national Government, development partners and stakeholders. 

 “We need to ensure that these policies and programs are being implemented, monitored and benefits they have on our students and teachers reported. 

This is where our school inspectors’ commitment, time and hard work are critical,” he added. 

The Minister said he looks forward to meeting the inspectors and the PEAs on Sunday evening when he will officially open the conference.

Central Province: A land of plenty

 I visited a good brother who teaches at Sivitatana Primary School in the Rigo District, Central Province on the weekend.

What a blessing, he asked me to collect some pork and some Rigo banana.

The drive to Sivitatana was perfect sealed drive from Port Moresby to Kwikila and then another 20 mins to Sivitatana alas there are few pot holes and unnecessary humps.

The humps are a road hazard.

Someone has to crack down on this.

People can't put humps without a notice for drivers indicating a hump.

Well why do I say Central Province is a land of plenty?

Driving past you see massive unused land with beautiful scenery.

That's the first huge asset they have.

Imagine if this is turned into commercial farm lands to feed the hotels, motels, shops and guest houses in Port Moresby.

There's already sealed road for example along the Magi Highway and you have electricity from Port Moresby pulled through.

With electricity, you can use it to irrigate farms or build storage facilities.

With the sealed road, you can transport the produce to Port Moresby.

We just got to put the nuts and bolts together and sure something realistic and workable should function.

We create jobs. We generate income from a sustainable and environmentally friendly venture.

Well at Sivitatana, there's a huge lake in there and while I was there fishermen brought huge number of catch they did and their wives will take to a road side market to sell.

The inland pieces of land are described as not too arable but what if we use develop and use good irrigation and mulch the soil a bit.

We should definitely see massive results.

Kwikila has important services and infrastructure already there like PNG Power.

It should develop into a huge town with good hospital, police stations, hotels and motels.

Attract Port Moresby residents to Kwikila.

Many places in outside provinces do not have the luxury as Central Province has-and near to the melting pot multiracial Port Moresby.

Central Province is a land of plenty opportunities.