280910SEMOSO APPEALS
By Aloysius Laukai

The Regional Member for Bougainville and Bougainville Affairs Minister, FIDELIS SEMOSO today appealed to Bougainville leaders especially the ABG members and the National parliamentarians to support the fundraising drive to raise funds for Emergency purposes.

MR. SEMOSO said that Bougainville is prone to Natural and man made disasters and must have funds ready available if disaster strikes.

He said many deaths occur not because of the disaster but because the assistance needed is not immediately at hand.

MR. SEMOSO also said that Bougainville must stop begging and try to raise its own revenue to help its people.

He said Bougainvilleans used to be self reliant until the crises that has completely made them became beggers’ on their own land.

The Minister wants the people to change from these negative attitudes.

Comments

[Kira]

Can I close the discussion on this by saying that Disasters and Emergencies in whatever form, is still a disaster and an emergency. Preparedness for it, is very much critical and varies in magnitude and type. Anyone who is the expert in handling disasters, should know that the best form of disaster preparedness depends on an infrastructure of systems that can complement it, and one which therefore can deal with it any type of disaster, natural or man-made, big or small. We Bougainvilleans are not new to disasters, and each of us can help a lot with disasters, if empowered properly. We will not go wrong of we have the Buin, Torokina, Aropa Airstrips up and running, not forgetting the hospitals.

Like Sam is saying here, forget doing things the ad-hoc manner, and we will will be right. The good MPs are handing out money with undue care - money that could be spent on resurrecting some of these assets. It doesn't take much for some, like Aropa Airport for instance. The sooner they(MPs) leave their egos in the closet and work with the ABG, by collaborating their energies and resources together, the better off we will all be.

[Kira]

With you, Sam...Well said.

[nem]

@panagah, manni topo roroging meng. nommai ngum manong pirohakong. toku noru namah ngawahere.
sinakana noroh.

[Panagah]

@ Sam, I totally agree with you.
Ogio needs to invest in education, he is national minister for Education. Moreso, with Dr Tagis with him, ABG should take advantage of their powers & roles to build our human capacity.

When Ogio is gone I would prefer to remember Honourable Ogio as the MAN who resurrected Arawa Tech College or build a new Tinputz Teachers college. The K10 million can start up an institution.
Ogio with his strong education background as one time school inspector can do lot more with the Momis regime. ABG must collaborate with Ogio & Dr Tagis & make things happen.

[Tukana]

Raising funds is a good idea. What is the record of our disaster office managing funds during emergencies? There have been difficulties during emergencies to access funds from the National Disaster Centre because funds are never acquitted properly. I will not take part in this fund raising because I know that these funds will be misused. Goods bought for disaster stricken communities have been stolen.

Fix this situation and you will see the people of Bougainville pouring money to these fund raising drive. Otherwise you can not fool the people of Bougainville.

[Sam]

I am sick and tired and ashamed at our so called elected representatives distributing funds in a very adhoc manner.

True, they have discretionary powers over about K250,000.00 @ year or somthing, some one correct me if am wrong in this.

The right way i think is to disburse it through the some electorate budget priority committees of the ABG or at least in consultation with them or with each other.

As higher education Minister, Bougainville needs a skills training or education institute and a university of some sort if we are to address our human resource capacity needs.

Each of the 4 members could come together, see what gaps exist and address it in consultation with the ABG.

If the members and us Bougainvilleans think this is the only way to disburse funds, and assume that whoever comes around come the next election will do just that again then forget it.

we are not fit to be independent. or is this not the crux of the message being disseminated by these MPs?

Our MPs ought to be teaching our people how to fish rather than giving them the fish.

Sam.

[Joseph Walter Mautu Pakei]

Bougainville has already enough resources to prevent Young Mothers from dying, neonatal deaths,so and so...THe management of these resources is the reason why these health disasters are occurring...

[Joseph Walter Mautu Pakei]

@Paulus, Semoso's reference of Emergency and Disaster may not to do with Young Mothers dying, New Born Children Dying, People Starve, Drugs, Alcohol, Poverty, Violence etc...He may be preventing the Geographical Emergencies and Disasters.

[Joseph Walter Mautu Pakei]

@Kira, Hon Semoso is the Senser for Disaster for the Societies and State of Bougainville. He is Experience and expert in this area. That is the only Quality that makes him different from President Momis.

[Kira]

..and for Mr. Semoso, its a waste of time coming up with disaster funds, when we have thieves lurking in high places, or disaster plans when you, don't have the good roads, working airstrips, and good hospitals that can back it up.

We all have bright ideas but, but such is life, we gotta get the basics right first too...

[Kira]

If there is anything that can help with disasters...its the Arawa General Hospital that must be brought back to its former glory, if not better.

[Lanbong]

That is true Paulus, while we are raising funds for disaster, we should also look at reducing the risks. For example, people living near rivers that often flood should be told to move to safer areas. People living on areas where a landslide could happen should be told to move to a safer place. These are simple things that will save lives and money. The question is, "Is the government through the Disaster Office doing this?"

Let's raise funds but also mitigate the risks. Otherwise we will go on raising funds until we get tired.

[Paulus]

Bougainville Affairs Minister, FIDELIS SEMOSO is right.

Young mothers die. Newborn children die.
People starve. Drugs, alcohol, poverty, Violence,...
A part of our youth is even leaving the country....
We have to do a lot.
But we will manage it - for our children.
Paulus