CID Officers in Vanimo, West Sepik Province have arrived in Edwaki area in Telefomin District to assess and report on the killings of four people including two policemen in 2021.

West Sepik Police Commander, Chief Inspector Joe Poema said the area was left volatile and seen as a hotspot since the confrontation between locals and members of the Mobile Squad.

“These assessment reports will assist police in the deployment of the security personnel during the polling period,” said PPC Poema.

The recently established West Sepik Provincial Election Steering Committee is conducting election briefings weekly to ensure policemen and women are taking ownership of the security aspect of the election before going into the campaigning and the polling periods.

“I am taking a bottom-up approach involving Police Station Commanders (PSCs), Officer in Charge (OICs), Section Heads, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and other partners in the security planning briefings to ensure they provide us with weekly situation reports,” said PPC Poema.

Meanwhile through District Partnerships, police officers will travel to Telefomin station this week under the sponsorship of Telefomin DDA to conduct awareness and gather intelligent assessment reports.

These officers will remain there until the end of this month.

A recently retired Papua New Guinea Defense Force Soldier on Friday announced his intention to compete in the National General Elections 2022 in the National Capital District.

Chief Warrant Officer, Allan Nanguromo made the announcement in front of family and close friends.

“I have reached the pinnacle of my career in the military, securing the highest rank in the Non Commissioned Officers rank and file.

“It’s now time for me to move on, ” he said.

Nanguromo has spent over thirty seven years with the Papua New Guinea Defense Force.

He joined the force in the 80s’ as a young private and made his way up the ranks.

Chief Warrant Officer is the highest rank among the Non Commissioned Officers rank and file.

The conviction to contest the National General Elections 2022 sprung from reflections on what the future will be like for today’s children.

“Countless leaders have come up with policies after policies that they haven’t lived up to.

“The number of youths who are unemployed continue to rise as we don’t have a plan for them.

“We need to start planning the future of the children who are currently in primary schools.

“We have plans but you can only do so much. Getting into parliament is the only way to push these plans and help secure a sound future for the future generation of PNG.

Nanguromo will contest the Moresby North West Electorate with the theme “For the Children of Tomorrow”.

Funding of K8 million has been committed by the National Government to build a road linking Maramuni in Enga Province and Karawari in East Sepik Province.

The announcement by Prime Minister James Marape comes three weeks before the Issuing of Writs for the 2022 National Elections.

Speaking at the launching of yet another road link connection Maramuni and Wabag in Enga, PM Marape said his Government is connecting rural Papua New Guinea like never before under its signature ‘Connect PNG’ program.

“We are trying to connect all rural areas right throughout the country, in this year’s Budget, we have allocations for 163 roads throughout the country,” PM Marape said.

The 57km road linking Maramuni and Wabag crosses some of the most-rugged and difficult terrains in the country and was done at minimal costs by the Wabag District Development Authority (DDA) and Enga Provincial Government.

The Maramuni Health Centre Project was also launched during PM’s visit.

Nambawan Super Limited (NSL) has finally received a physical title over a portion of land for which it has been fending off ownership claims over the last two decades.

Lands Minister, John Rosso, presented the title to portion 2158 at 9-mile to the Deputy NSL Chairperson, Dame Meg Taylor, marking an end to one chapter over the 20-year long dispute.

The presentation follows a court decision in 2020 which, basically, recognized the superfund as the legitimate owner of the land portion.

Minister Rosso said this will pave way for the possibility of new housing for NSL members if the fund decides to go that route. But he has also, called for NSL to work in partnership with NCDC to relocate settlers currently living on the land.

“We have had 10 meetings with NSL to make sure all stakeholders are involved to get a win-win for everyone. The title should be restored to NSL and we also have to deal with the people residing on that land.

“So I’ve encouraged NSL to talk to NCDC and to find a win-win for those particular parcels of land.”

NSL has also had to battle against the inefficiencies within the lands department over the last 20 years which prevented the official recognition of the superfund as legal landowners.

Even after the court ruled in their favor, it took another year before the matter was finally actioned by the Lands Minister.

“We’ve worked very closely with the Lands Department, the NCDC and the Member of Parliament for Moresby North East to look at how you deal with people who have settled on this land.” said Deputy Chairperson, Dame Meg Taylor.

“They are citizens of this country and NSL is very sensitive to this and there has been a lot of consultation.”

Nambawan Super Limited legally owns three other land portions – 2156, 2157, 2159. The fund says any future development on the land will be discussed in detail.

However, there’s the possibility of the fund, with the ability it now has, to infuse the current housing market with more affordable housing for its members and others who may be interested.

It is something they will decide on later.

This is one of three important title handovers this year.

The first was for the Development of the Tuhava township where Roku landowners received a land title over the Tuhava township. Newcrest Mining also received a land title for the state land it owns which will be used for the development of a new township and the resettlement of local people displaced by the mine.

Baby Formula, Rice, Flour, and Sugar are amongst the 26 goods and services identified by the National Government where there will be some control over their retail prices.

The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) as the Government Agency responsible for Price Control Measures says the new price measures is to prevent price gouging in light of inflation due to increase in fuel prices.

ICCC Commissioner, Paulus Ain said this is pursuant to the National Pandemic Act 2020 with the current price measures expiring on the 16 April 2022.

“The ICCC including provincial Business Development Officers will be inspecting shops throughout the country to ensure these measures are followed,” said Mr. Ain.

Meanwhile CEO of PNG Manufacturer’s Council, Chey Scovell has described the call by the national government on the removal of Goods and Services Tax on selected essential goods as a rushed decision.

But ICCC on the other hand says if a business breaches these measures, it will be fined close to K10,000.

A three-man Supreme Court bench today heard a substantive appeal filed by Autonomous Bougainville Government acting chief secretary Shadrach Himata.

The appeal filed by Himata, through lawyer Simon Dewe, seeks to challenge a National Court decision from August 11, 2021, in Buka that ordered the reinstatement of director, strategic planning and policy coordination Nancy Warkia, to the Bougainville Public Service, with all her entitlements be reimbursed.

The appeal that was heard by judges Thomas Anis, Iova Geita, and Teresa Berrigan was filed on grounds that the trial judge erred in law when he granted orders to stay the decision of Mr. Himata that dismissed Ms. Warkia from office, pending the determination of her appeal to the public service commission.

This was on grounds that there was no substantive proceeding heard prior to the court making those orders, when it also had the matter adjourned to the registry.

Mr. Dewe told the court that the refusal of leave, effectively disposed the judicial review proceeding, and also the rights of the plaintiff to apply for a judicial review.

He said the court’s intervention in issuing those interim orders, were outside the currency of a pending proceeding, and without judicial basis.

Ms. Warkia, through lawyer, Desmond Aigilo, submitted in response that although leave was refused, the court still had the power under section 155(4) of the constitution and Order 12, Rule 1 of the National Court Rules, hence given the circumstances prevailing at the time, the court had exercised its inherent powers to make those orders where it did on August 11, 2021.

Mr. Dewe, in response to Mr. Aigilo’s submission argued that the courts inherent powers under s.155(4) could not be relied on, as it could protect the primary right of a party, when being invoked.

“In this case, the primary right of the respondent, to apply for judicial review, was disposed of when leave for judicial review was not granted.

Also in response to the application of Order 12, Rule 1, Mr. Dewe, submitted that Order 16 Rule 3(8), specifically restricts the court from granting any interim relief’s prior to a grant of leave.

The court is expected to hand down a decision later this week.