Alotau

Tensions in the small tourist town remain high after the most recent incident which comes after the shooting of a police officer during a robbery on Saturday.

Yesterday morning police, responding to reports of a robbery at the PNG Airlines ticketing office, foundd it locked with staff still inside the building.

A break down in communication and some misinformation led police to believe the gunmen were still in the building, holding the staff, when in fact they had locked themselves in out of fear.

Milne Bay police commander, Joseph Morehari, confirmed with Loop PNG over the phone that there are hostages being held in the Airlines PNG office.

However, he would not reveal the number of hostage-takers or their victims. He reassured the public that they are now on the scene and are dealing with the situation.

The Loop newsroom received information from residents on the ground that the town has come to a standstill as the public awaits the outcome of the hostage situation.

The Opposition sponsored VONC will be the only business when Parliament sits at 10am tomorrow.  

“Leadership should be based on the quality in decision making, and people (parliamentarians) should be making their own decisions without being influenced by others.

“And we at the Opposition stand for this strong stable leadership, because the Peoples Progress Party stands for strong (and) stable leadership,” Philemon said.

The Milne Bay Governor’s province has been hosting the Government camp for the last few days as they do soul some searching before the VONC.     

As of last night, the head count was 75, according to reliable sources at the camp.

The source who wanted to remain anonymous told Loop PNG this morning that they are intact and confident to remain in the government.

More than 62 MPs along with Prime Minister Peter O’Neill left for Alotau on Sunday, while 10 of them arrived in Alotau on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Opposition camp in Port Moresby has been getting support from the people and former prime ministers.

Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare yesterday showed his support to the team by visiting the camp.

In a media conference this afternoon in Port Moresby, Opposition leader Don Polye claimed that he has evidence that the money totaling up to more than K110 million, coming from government coffers, was used to fund the Alotau Camp.

He called on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to come out clear and explain where that money came from to fund the camp.

Polye described such an exercise by O’Neill as ‘enticement and bribery’, clouding the members of parliament’s conscience.

The program focuses on empowering teens and encouraging them to reduce their risk of cancer by making healthy lifestyle choices.

Over 250 grade 9 students at Cameron and over 500 students at Hagita took part in the program, sponsored by Kumul Consolidated Holdings and Kumul Petroleum Ltd.

PNGCF health educator Jacob Oburi educated the students on cancer and how it can develop in the body.

Oburi explained what types of foods are healthy options and how exercise is an important part of lifestyle behaviour.

The program will be launched by the PNG Cancer Foundation (PNGCF) at Cameron and Hagita secondary schools on April 5-6, sponsored by Kumul Consolidated Holdings and Kumul Petroleum Ltd.

It focuses on empowering teens and encouraging them to reduce their risk of cancer by making healthy lifestyle choices.

The program will be conducted to Grade Nine students and include topics on healthy eating and the benefits of regular exercise.

Research by the PNG Institute of Medical research suggests that 1 in 10 deaths in PNG are because of cancer.

PNGCF, in partnership with the Milne Bay Provincial Health Authority and Alotau Urban Local Level Government, will also carry out awareness on the different types of cancer.

The program focuses on cancer awareness and prevention and will get underway at Alotau Market on April 6-7 starting at 10am and finishing at 3pm.

Free mouth and breast cancer screening will take place and awareness of cervical cancer will be carried out through a series of workshops.

The march was led by Alotau Catholic Church Bishop, Rolando Santos, Minister Abel and Members of the Alotau District Development Authority and Catholic Church members.

The march started from the Catholic Diocese headquarters all the way to the main market jetty.