Students

Malakai Tabar's comment comes after the UPNG yesterday suspended the first semester and gave about 5,000 students occupying its campuses 48 hours to leave.

For almost four weeks they've boycotted their classes while demanding that Prime Minister Peter O'Neill stand aside and face police questioning over an alleged fraud case.

UPNG students gathered in their thousands to demand that the prime minister Peter O'Neill stand aside to face questioning over a fraud case. Photo: upng4png

UPNG vice-chancellor Professor Albert Mellam told students at the Medical Faculty this afternoon: “The SRC wrote a letter to the registrar to seek the university’s assistance in bringing the prime minister and the police commissioner, or their representatives, to the university to receive the petition.

“On the basis of those options, the government decided to have a government team receive the petition. And as we all know, that never happened.

The incident took place last Monday night while the third year Divine Word University (DWU) student was walking up to the DWU paramedical campus with his backpack containing his school issued laptop.

The rural health student was approached by a group of armed youths with bush knives. While in the process of defending himself, he sustained a deep cut on the left side of his neck.

The youths ran off with the student’s backpack while he was taken to the hospital, where he received 10 stitches.

Representing the PNG National Government was Minister for Sorts, tourism and culture  Justin Tkatchenko, the Governor of NCD Powes Parkop and on behalf of the Prime Minister at occasion was the Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Malakhai Tabar.

Before officially handing over the key to the UPNG administration, Minister Tkatchenko challenged the students and the administration to take good care of the complex facility as it one of the world class facilities in the Pacific.

Many school children will be in school for the start of their school year and as part of the church programmes, school children were bestowed blessings from the church elders before starting their academic year.

The Foursquare Living Light church in Port Moresby yesterday (Sunday) morning was packed to capacity as students were blessed by church elders.

Students from elementary to tertiary institutions were in attendance.

Picture courtesy by Pastor Rodney Tomuriesa

One mother said her son lied to her earlier in the day when he said he was going to Vision City to meet some friends.

The first policeman at the scene of the accident who accompanied the students to the Port Moresby General Hospital believes the more than ten students; both male and female may have told their parents and guardians the same story.

They believe the students, all from the Port Moresby International High School, met at Vision City and got on a PMV bus they hired for an “outing” at Sogeri.

Two of them have been admitted while four were taken to Pacific International Hospital by their families. Another four were treated and released.

Most of the students are believed to be between grades 9 -12.

Early reports online spoke of possubly two or more deaths in the accident but these could not be confirmed tonight. However LOOP News was told by a  hospital worker that one student died and was taken to the morgue.

“I say this because I took the principal there to identify the body,” he says. This could not be verified tonight.

Tande Joseph and Peter Martin were found guilty to one count of manslaughter by Justice George Manuhu on April 15.

They were found guilty for the death of Obediah Igish, a third year Anthropology student who was involved in a drunken brawl with the accused at the University bus stop in 2012

They appeared in court today (June 17) where their lawyer asked for a sentence of seven years to be given.

They also asked that the court uses its digression to reduce the sentence or give them a non-custodial sentence.