The National Executive Council has rejected Dr Clement Malau’s application to the position of Provincial Administrator to the East Sepik Province.
This has angered East Sepik Governor Allan Bird and 22 other leaders in the province, who had voted unanimously for Dr Malau to take up the provincial administrator’s post.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Governor Bird said his administration had gone through the correct process to nominate Dr Malau.
“I believe the members of the NEC were misled, the first thing they were told is that candidate we chose was not a Papua New Guinean citizen,” says the Governor.
“Dr Clement Malau is a Papua New Guinean citizen. He’s a son of Sepik. He comes from one of the last districts, Ambunti, in our province.
“He’s a Harvard graduate, I don’t know how many Harvard graduates there are in the civil service in PNG, and I thought we were privileged as a province to have a man of his calibre, a man who has had a very successful career both national and overseas,” said Bird.
The Governor said they need a neutral person to run the province because the province had been going through a rough time during the past 5 to 6 years.
“Someone who had no political affiliations,” continues Bird.
However, the East Sepik Governor said he had been informed by the Minister for Public Service, Elias Kapavore, that it was not the Prime Minister or other senior ministers from other provinces that were against the appointment. Rather, it was their local MPs.
“Just because you are in cabinet does not give you the right to override the provincial government.
“A minister sitting in the comforts of Port Moresby should not have the right to overrule the decisions we make in the province.
“I live in Wewak, I work with the council presidents. I speak with my open MPs I know what the concerns are.”
Meantime, Bird thanked Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for allowing the people of East Sepik, through its leaders, to go through the process of selecting a provincial administrator.
“He obviously does not want to get involved because the fight is against one district in the province and the other five.”
The East Sepik Provincial Government has been asked to make an acting appoint whilst waiting for another opportunity to appoint a permanent administrator.
Bird said he will call a meeting next week to try to resolve the issue, however, he is prepared to take a legal approach if resolution is not reached.
(East Sepik Governor Allan Bird)