Kairuku District

LOs give green light for road project

Paramount Chief of Foleka Deva Deva village in the Kunni Local Level Government (LLG) Kairuku District, Albert Mara, and Woitape LLG president and landowner of the Tolukuma Mine, Fabian Aia, welcomed the project saying that the road project would bring much needed services to their people.

The leaders told a government team led by the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) last week that their people had waited for many years for the project to take off the ground.

Pinu Health Post opening

The Pinu aid post building together with the renovation of staff houses were done by Australian INGO, Child Fund with the support from the Australian government through the PNG Australia partnership.

The people have been deprived of proper health care for many years due to distance in accessing health care facilities.

Central Provincial Health Authority's Director for Curative Health service, Dr Maru Garo, said the health facility was launched as part of Central Provincial Health Authority's policy documents.

Counting begins for Kairuku District

Chairman of the Election Steering Committee for Central Province, Francis Koaba, spoke about the counting process and how the long delay is a norm in the country.

“It is inevitable for all the elections past and current, that we have our short coming in terms of logistical planning. The logistical planning have been undertaken by the Electoral Commission but in close consultation of the Provincial elections steering committee,” Koaba said.

He said that apart from counting, the polling process in the province was a peaceful one.

Polling delay in Pinu

Today, Toutu Village set up voting booths. Voters from Pinu travelled to Toutu to seek clarification on whether or not another day could be given to them to vote. Scrutineers also raised questions about the electoral roll and if it is updated.  

Assistant Returning Officer, Peter Ume, said that only people with names in the electoral roll will cast their vote. Ume said there is about 1000 eligible voters currently in the ward common roll in Pinu and Toutu, Kairuku LLG.

Central govt to deliver relief supplies for villages

Villages from Aipeana, Veifa'a, Rarai, Gagaifua, Inawaia,Inawani and up towards North Mekeo villages of Apanaipi and upstream to the river villages will receive supplies on Thursday.

Governor for Central, Robert Agarobe, and Provincial Administrator Gei Guni Raga, will be at PB Cheung Koki tomorrow (March 8) to witness the loading of these relief food stuff of rice and noodles.

Education infrastructure for remote areas

Tubu and Kuriva communities from the Kairuku District of Central Province were the proud recipients of an elementary double classroom (Tubu) and a library (Kuriva), funded by Digicel PNG Foundation in their mission to improve education facility standards.

National and supreme court Judge, Justice Stephen Kassman, who calls Tubu home, said that villagers had come together to start up the school after 20 years of not having a school in the Village of Tubu, depriving a whole generation of the community from being educated.

Contradictory reports see manslaughter case dismissed

The Central Committal Court on Tuesday dismissed the case against Joshua Gini David after he was arrested and charged on 18 January last year for unlawfully killing his step daughter, who was 16 years old at the time of her death.

Allegations brought by police before the court stated that David sexually assaulted the 16-year-old before she committed suicide by hanging herself on 2nd December, 2015, at her family home.

The deceased was the daughter of his partner at the time of the alleged offense.

Family plans Roger Hau'ofa Kidney Centre

The Roger Hau'ofa Kidney Centre will be set up to address the full spectrum of kidney disease, from prevention, treatment and care.

The late Hau’ofa passed on peacefully at 11.42pm on Saturday at his wife Pauline’s village, Iare in Kairuku District, Central Province, after suffering from kidney disease.

Daughter of late Hau'ofa, Michelle, said the family has walked that path and the vision that they had for their father is that his life will not be in vain.

57yo gets 23 years for killing man over pig

Allan Aiso was convicted by the Bomana National Court on Oct 24 for the murder of George Evi on May 5, 2015, at Aipeana village, Kairuku district.

He was found guilty of hurling a spear-knife at Evi’s chest after he found him standing next to his dead pig in the garden.

Justice Panuel Mogish, sentencing him to 25 years’ imprisonment this week, deducted one year, six months from that sentence. This was due to time he spent in remand at Bomana. Aiso will now serve a remaining 23 years and six months in prison.

Mekeo women to protest for gender equality and rights

The protest aims to enhance opportunities for gender equality and women empowerment.

The women claim that for years they have been the scapegoats of taboos and customs.

They have suffered for years from continuous alcohol and drug-related verbal and physical abuse plus sexual violence that has deprived women rights in the rural areas.

The organisers say they aim to speak out for the silent majority and break down the stigma that accompanies so many experiences of violence and abuses.