NEW DAWN ON BOUGAINVILLE

 

300914POLICE COMMANDER CONCERNED ABOUT NON PAYMENT OF CAPS

By Aloysius Laukai

 

Bougainville’s Acting Police Assistant Commissioner, CSP PAUL KAMUAI is calling on the Autonomous Bougainville Government to honour its commitment and pay up six months of outstanding allowances for members of the Community Auxiliary Police Officers working throughout the rural areas of Bougainville.

In a media statement released by his office today, CSP PAUL KAMUAI said that the Community Auxiliary Police officers  are hardworking and committed who serve in their rural communities  and for the ABG to completely ignore them is inhumane and uncalled for.

MR. KAMUAI said that frustrated CAPS officers have been texting him concerning their payments which has been outstanding for a long time.

He appealed to the ABG not to allow the CAP Program to collapse as it had proven and continues to be a successful method of policing in Bougainville.

The Bougainville Community Auxiliary Police allowances since 2006 were paid by the New Zealand Community Policing Project until a year ago when the responsibility was handed over to the ABG.

The ACP also praised his CAP officers for their patience and perseverance.

 

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Pictured are Bougainville Police Officers at the recent Mona Festival in Buka town

300914 VOTE WILL DEPEND ON HOW BOUGAINVILLE IS TREATED
By Aloysius Laukai

The ABG Vice President, PATRICK NISIRA says that the result of the Bougainville referendum will very much hinge on the support Bougainville is getting from the National Government.
He made these remarks at the dinner hosted by the National Planning Minister, CHARLES ABEL at the Kuri village resort last night.
MR. NISIRA commended the National Government for allocating more funds to rebuild infrastructures throughout Bougainville and said that the people of Bougainville will vote with a clear conscience depending on what Papua New Guinea is giving to the region.
He said as a former Combatant he sees that support from the National Government to Bougainville has increased over the years.
MR. NISIRA also commended the National Planning Minister for taking his family with him on his visit to Bougainville.
He said that this shows that the leader is confident in the peaceful environment the people of Bougainville have established throughout the region since the end of the conflict.
Meanwhile the National Planning Minister, CHARLES ABEL said that the National Government is committed to working with the Autonomous Bougainville Government to make sure Bougainville rises from the ruins of the conflict.
He said that his trip is to see with his own eyes how the region is developing to make sure they fund areas that are still struggling to get off the ground.
The team visited projects on Buka island including the Opening of a Double classroom at the new HAKU DAY HIGH SCHOOL.
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290914AGYENTA ON ROLE MODELS AND SELF DISCIPLINE
BY JENNIFER NKUI

The grade ten and twelve graduating students of Buin Secondary school were told last week during their graduation to bear in mind two things and they are role model and self discipline.
UN Representative Anthony Agyenta who was invited for the graduation ceremony told the graduates that he was present just to bring that message across to them.
He said he has been in Bougainville for a long time now and he has realized that there are a lot of young people coming out of school but the word role model does not exist.
He told the graduates that each of them should have a role model in life, someone who they can look up to that will help them get oriented for the future.
He pointed out that many of the graduates do not know who their role model is; they do not have one in their life to serve as a role model which is very unfortunate as everyday these young people should have someone to guide them, now that they are coming out to society.
Mr. Agyenta stressed that role models are very important but is something that is lacking in Bougainville.
The other aspect that he mentioned to the graduates was self discipline.
He pointed out to the students that he knows that they are going through a lot of frustrations with regards to situations faced and as young people; they must not get the frustrations up to their heads because it will mislead them.
He said in order for them to become someone in the future, they must always turn the frustrations into challenges and challenges into opportunities for themselves.
The UN representative told the graduates that if they do not meet the challenges, they will never create opportunities and as leaders of tomorrow what visions do they have for themselves saying vision is very important as it will carry them forward.

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290914PEACE AND RECONCILIATION MECHANISMS
BY JENNIFER NKUI

The division of Peace and Reconciliation now has mechanisms in place because of the experiences by greedy and selfish people who just want to make money under guise or pretext of trying to come up with a reconciling community.
This was revealed by the director of peace and reconciliation Nick Peniai during a reconciliation ceremony at Tiobuhin village assembly last week.
He said as pointed out by the member for Taonita/Tinputz David Brown, reconciliations in Bougainville have all been commercialized and this time, the division has set up mechanisms and processes that pertain some of these loopholes that existed previously.
Mr. Peniai explained that any reconciliation that a community wants to hold must pass through these certain processes before funding and his signature goes on any warrant that authorizes the release of funds which is the policy guide of the government.
He said times are becoming difficult and therefore there is not time for masquerading one another.

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290914MOMIS ON SELF DETERMINATION
BY JENNIFER NKUI

One of the unique characteristics of man is that he possesses the quality or the characteristics of being self determining meaning he can take charge of his own life, create his own life and own situation.
Other animals do not have that privilege and they do not have that characteristic but God has made them and placed them in this world for decoration.
This message was brought across to the grade ten and twelve graduating students of Buin Secondary School last week by the ABG president chief Dr. John Momis.
He stressed to the graduates that human beings unlike animals were given the freedom, an intellect and the will to determine our own future which is something unique and exclusive for us.
He said only a human being can be self determining saying the graduates are in a powerful position especially with a good education and in particular with an education with an ethical dimension and therefore are in a powerful position to make things better.
He added that with all the problems we face, we are called upon to excel in whatever we do to make Bougainville a better place for all of us.
Chief Momis explained that in Bougainville, we are given the privilege and opportunity to create something new out of these mess as it may be short of the budgetary allocations from the National Government, we do not have any roads, but we are making roads as we move forward, building our own public service, we are making our own laws and we are training our own people.
He said we do not have a lot of highly qualified people but we do not sit around and wait until perfect answers are given to us.
He told the graduates that this is the situation that they find themselves in right now as they are in the midst of their own people and they are searching for a new national identity comprising of integrity, justice, freedom, concern for others, not individualism, not caring for themselves but concern to build peace as only great men and women do.

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Pictured is the Pastor with two Sda Church Members Julie Masike (left) and Jennifer Nkui(right)

290914EVANGELISM HIGHLIGHT
BY JENNIFER NKUI

The one week Seventh Day Adventist evangelism programme in Buka Town was highlighted with the baptism of twenty-nine candidates on Saturday.
The baptismal candidates, most of them in their youths made their commitment to follow Christ by going into the water of baptism at the Isa Beach Front.
The Isa beach side was packed to capacity as people, young and old lined the seaside just to get a glimpse of the baptism and the candidates being baptized by three SDA pastors.
Pastor Zuzai Hizoke who flew in all the way from Goroka was the guest speaker at this one week evangelism programme.
Under the theme ‘Realizing the Time’ Pr. Hizoke preached to the people about Jesus Christ, his love for us and why he died on the cross.
He also stressed that if Bougainville wants true restoration and reformation, true restoration and reformation can be achieved only through Jesus Christ.
He said the only way forward now for Bougainville is through Jesus Christ because all things are made possible through him and with him.
Pr. Hizoke who really enjoyed his stay here in Bougainville returned to Goroka this morning.

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290914 BUIN GRADUATE
By Anthony Kaybing
Students in Bougainville have been urged to contribute to Bougainville’s development as it prepares for the final outcome of its political journey.
Autonomous Bougainville Government President Chief Dr. John Momis made the statement at the 32nd grade 10 and 8th grade 12 graduation at Buin Secondary School in South Bougainville last Thursday.
President Momis told the students that a good education is maturation, discipline and formation that makes a person recognize their true potential.
“You should not fear but you should be confident that you are well prepared by your teacher and by your parents to go out into the world and make a difference,” he told the graduates.
The President urged the graduating students not to leave Bougainville after completing their education simply because the financial gains may seem attractive but to come back and to help rebuild their homes and communities.
“Bougainville is undergoing a process of structural empowerment and liberating people to be free to do something positive for its people and that is what Bougainville offers to its people today.” President Momis said.
“You have a much more challenging and in a way a much more fulfilling engagement in Bougainville and so you are called upon to do your part in its development,” he added.
President Momis said that Bougainville cannot remain stagnant but to have things happen so the Government is preparing things for the younger generation to takeover.
“It is not enough to be merely academically qualified but you must also be qualified in terms of appreciation of values and universal principals of humanity because these will determine your self-determination,” he said.
He explained that this means that a person becomes free to take control of their destiny and to make responsible decisions.
“You are now in the midst of your people who are searching for a new identity comprising of integrity, justice, freedom, not individualism and the concern to build peace, only great men and women can do this,” President Momis said.
President Momis also congratulated the graduating students on coming thus far and told them that education does not end but is a lifelong endeavor.

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Ministers and delegation arriving at the Disaster office opening this morning
Picture by Aloysius Laukai

290914Handover Takeover
Anthony Kaybing

The Autonomous Bougainville Government Cabinet formally assumed their new ministerial portfolios today as part of the new restructure that sees the reorganization of the Bougainville Public Service.
ABG President Chief Dr John Momis urged the Ministers of his cabinet to collaboratively take control and issue directives that must be adhered to by the public service.
“If people do not want to adhere to the legitimated instructions by the ministers then I am prepared to accept their resignations,” the President warned.
“For too long we have been condoning underperformance and in some cases deliberate acts of insubordination from public servants who are consistently and systematically misbehaving within the Public Service,” President Momis said.
President Momis also encouraged his ministers to build a rapport with the departmental secretaries of their respective ministries to ensure cooperation and efficient service delivery.
The President said with Bougainville reduced to basic humanity during the Crises it is the responsibility of the leaders to work twice as hard to ensure the people of Bougainville receive good services from the government.
The President said the ABG and the Bougainville Administration must work together in a united fashion to project an image of a team that can confront issues and find solutions.
The Ministerial Portfolios of the ABG Cabinet in its present form stands as;

John L Momis Department of the President and Bougainville Executive Council
President

Patrick Nisira Department of Police and Corrections
Vice President

Rev. Joseph Nopei Department of Justice and the Principal Legal Adviser
Minister for Justice

Albert Punghau Department of Treasury and Finance
Minister for Treasury and Finance

Joel Banam Department of Administrative Services
Minister for Administrative Services

Michael Oni Department of Mineral Resources and Energy
Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy

Luke Karaston Department of Technical Services
Minister for Technical Services

Rose Pihei Department of Health
Minister for Health

John Tabaniman Department of Education
Minister for Education

David Sisito Department of Community Government
Minister for Community Government

Melchior Dare Department of Community Development
Minister for Community Development

Nicholas Daku Department of Primary Industries
Minister for Primary Industries

Wilfred Komba Department of Commerce and Tourism
Minister for Commerce and Tourism

Newton Kauva Department of Lands, Physical Planning, Environment and Conservation
Minister for Lands, Physical Planning,
Environment and Conservation

ABG Vice President Patrick Nisira on behalf of the Ministers thanked the President on his confidence in his ministers and pledged their support to President Momis.

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