Eastern Highlands

Teachers across the country are scheduled to resume this week by filling up their resumption duty forms in preparation for classes to commence on Monday, January 30.

Teachers in both provinces told Loop PNG that the education division in their provinces is yet to release the teacher posting lists.

They confirmed that the posting list should be ready by end of this week then they’ll be able to fill in their resumption duty forms.

With the support of NCD Governor Powes Parkop, the Eastern Highlanders will get to celebrate the ‘NCD Eastern Highlands Ethnic Group Day’ to review their history, culture and lifestyle in harmony.

The event will see over 20-plus singsing groups from the province presenting traditional dances as well as other activities, including comedy and live band performances.

Several access roads in the region have been cut off, isolating a large number of rural communities while the Highlands Highway is under threat of being cut off by landslips in several locations between Eastern Highlands and Jiwaka Province.

In the Chimbu Province, the Kundiawa-Gembolg road was cut off in three locations on Sunday night after heavy rains. The Dokorr Creek Bridge along the Gumine road, outside Kundiawa, was also covered by debris, cutting off the link from Gumine.

The registry office has been conducting registrations since Thursday Oct 6, and headed by I’pai Maniha as the Provincial Registrar.

Maniha’s appointment was also made official with the signing of instruments during the launching of the office last Wednesday.

The launch was officiated by members of the Eastern Highlands Provincial Administration, the PNG NID Project Office and the Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry.

Tato filed the application to dismiss or quash the ex-officio indictment or an election of his case by the Public Prosecutor to proceed to the National Court for trial.

The Public Prosecutor elected his case to go forward to the National Court under section 526 of the Criminal Code. This happened after the Goroka District Court dismissing his case for insufficient evidence on Nov 27 last year.

The indictment was served on Tato in Port Moresby on July 22 by the Public Prosecutor, Pondros Kaluwin, for misappropriation allegations. The allegations date back to 2011.

Barola is a name anyone travelling up the Highlands highway would think twice before passing the area, especially at nights, as it is known for its numerous hold ups and carjacking activities over the recent years.

The fear of the area Barolla hill, as a notorious hideout for criminal activities, has left a bad impression to the mindsets of the government, law enforcers and the public, resulting in less development in the area.

“We are ready to assist the University facilitate reconciliation, we cannot do much as the University has its own law,” Tato said.

Following the student fight at the campus last week, were 44 students were injured and treated,  with the UOG Academic Senate suspending classes for two weeks giving time for students to recover.      

“The situation happened within the campus, I thank Police for maintaining the situation when it spilled over to the main town,” Tato said.

“We offer our sympathy to the students who were affected because of what has happen.”

Governor Soso in a media conference yesterday said the provincial PA impasse is not a new thing to the media as this had all started last year in June when then acting provincial administrator Solomon Tato was arrested by police for official corruption and mismanagement of funds after chairing a Public Supply and Tenders Board (PSTB) meeting.

Soso claimed  that Tato awarded K2.8 million to a contracting company who was supposed to complete the Okapa Administration building but it was not used for its intended purpose.