Allan Bird

Provincial leader Allan Bird made this known to the public in Wewak Town recently, while handing over four new police vehicles to the provincial police hierarchy.

He said his government has made law and order its area of priority in order to ensure development can progress in the province.

Governor Bird addressed the public and members of the provincial constabulary that the provincial government will support it with K30 thousand per month to address law and order issues across the six districts.

“Let us start by thinking about the Sepik River people for a moment, more particularly where we see them in 20 or 30 years’ time. Where do they see themselves in that timeframe?” queried the Governor.

“Will they still be fisher folk? Living a semi-subsistence life, selling carvings and other artefacts and performing traditional dances for tourists? Or will more of them desire a decent education, a career or start a business and move to live in a town or city?

“The Maserati deal is just one scandal after another. And we’re asking, when will it stop?

“The process of policing is into question.”

Kramer pointed out the Paraka case, where the case against the Prime Minister was closed, including the Manumanu land deal, where police cleared the implicated Cabinet Ministers of all allegations against them.

Governor for East Sepik Province Allan Bird wanted to know why the Communications Minister has Facebook high on his priority rather than fighting corruption.

 Allan Bird’s questions ranged from the involvement of National Research Institute to conduct research into the use of social media, the curiosity of government’s focus on Facebook instead of other pressing issues and the image it will portray to other APEC countries on freedom of speech and media.

In response, Minister Basil denied newspaper reports that had given a time frame for Facebook to be shutdown. 

“While the focus had been on the earthquake disaster in the Southern highlands, we sometimes overlook the other disasters that have occurred in Papua New Guinea recently,” Witham stated.

The Kadovar eruption on January 2018 has left many people displaced and had a major impact on the lives of people in the Eastern Sepik area.

He said LLGs will be given the option of allowing their people to vote for the president, or for council members only to vote for presidents.

O’Neill, replying to the East Sepik Governor Allan Bird’s query on how the Council presidents will be voted in, said it will be entirely up to the provinces.

“There are provinces in the country where they wish to have the council presidents elected by the people – that is fine, and there are other provinces where they want the ward councillors to elect the presidents.

Governor Allan Bird made the clarification in response to an article published on Loop PNG regarding national interest in the Sepik Plains.

During the budget presentation of the East Sepik Provincial Budget to Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister, Charles Abel, the Governor responded to comments made by Abel regarding significant funding to his province for agricultural projects by the National Government.

The Governor said he is aware that investments are being planned for major projects in the Provinces, however, he does not have the necessary information.

The Governor said the Sepik Plains has more than a million hectares of arable land, and if managed well, will deliver long term sustainable projects that can last a lifetime and provide hundreds of thousands of jobs.

“The National Government may be of an opinion that we are somehow involved and we are pushing this national agenda based on this large resources that are being invested.

East Sepik Governor, Allan Bird, said a recent change in wind direction has resulted in ash drifting towards the Biem Island.

He said if this continues, the coast of Madang Province could be affected, including Bogia District and Manam resettlement centre.

Meanwhile, the Governor said they have begun planning for any likely event that Biem Islanders may need to be evacuated due to the effects of the volcano.

“With the change in the wind direction, a lot of the ashes from the Kadovar volcano are falling on Biem Island and towards Manam and Bogia.

He made the comments during the donation of K50,000 from Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL) yesterday.

Governor Bird received a cheque from KPHL Managing Director, Wapu Sonk, towards relief efforts for the aftermath of the Kadovar Island volcanic eruption.

Sonk said KPHL, being the national oil and gas company, has a social responsibility to all Papua New Guineans and obligated to help the people of Kadovar at this time of need.

Governor Bird thanked Sonk for the donation and said the level of support received has been overwhelming.