The Public Solicitor, Leslie Mamu presented the 2021 Annual Report to Governor General, Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae in Port Moresby today.

The 2021 Annual Report highlights the functions and activities of the Public Solicitor’s Office and recommendations for improvement of its services.

The Office of the Public Solicitor is established by the Constitution under Section 176(1) to provide legal aid, advice and assistance to those in need of it.

Public Solicitor, Leslie Mamu, presenting 2021 Annual Report to Governor General, Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae at Government House.

It is a Constitutional requirement that Constitutional Office Holders present an annual report to the Governor General on the operations of the office as well as recommendations for improvement.

Annual reports are presented to the Governor General to be forwarded to the Speaker of Parliament for presentation in Parliament.

In just under 24 hours, St John Ambulance (SJA) officers responding to emergencies in the National Capital District and Central Province were attacked in two separate incidents.

The first incident happened at 3:30am on Saturday morning.

An ambulance crew responding to an emergency call from Kaugere in the Moresby South Electorate was stopped from it’s path by two drunk man.

One holding a large metal pole and threatening the crew to turn back.

Police were called and the men have been arrested.

Another incident happened along Vanapa in the Kairuku Hiri District of Central Province.

CEO Matt Cannon was on his way to assist his Health Extension Officer attend a maternal case.

“Triplets had been born prematurely and the babies and mother were acutely unwell.

The response car (C01) was displaying red and blue flashing lights.

“A St John Health Extension Officer in A31 (ahead of C01) required urgent back-up from advanced paramedics to manage the patients.

“At approximately 1809hrs, while responding to the case we approached a newly placed speed hump approximately 300 metres from what we understand to be Vanapa Bridge.

“As our vehicle slowed to go over the speed hump slowly, a male ran out in front of the vehicle wielding a knife that appeared 15 – 20cm in length.

“The male used that knife to strike the driver’s side window with force. A loud bang could be heard. The male had a beard. He appeared an estimated age of between 20 – 40 years old.

The knife contacted the glass, and slid down, contacting metal, and leaving a notable dent in the aluminium door.

The driver was lucky, the windows were up.

“Given where the knife contacted the glass, had the window been open or the glass given way, the knife would have stabbed my neck, very likely severing the carotid artery, resulting in death by uncontrollable exsanguination in a matter of seconds.

“Every day our professional ambulance officers are putting their lives on the line, coming face to face with risk and violence so that others may live.

“Obstructing a paramedic or ambulance officer is categorically unacceptable and put lives at risk,” said Cannon.

Meanwhile St John Ambulance Board Chair Dame Jean Kekedo said they are asking the Government to make amendments to the St John Act 1976 to make it illegal to obstruct or hinder ambulance officers performing their duties.

This incident in Central Province is the 4th attack on the ambulance service since January 2022.

Two attacks in Central Province, one in NCD and one in Simbu Province.

A newly established market group in Vanimo, called the Wamo Food and Craft Market launched its first ever market show last weekend in Vanimo town.

The event attracted over 50 small businesses to the PNGDF Forward Operations Base where they set up stalls to showcase their products.

With the aim of creating a platform for business owners to generate an income and boost the local economy – the event will be held once a month and will expand to other parts of Vanimo-Green district.

The event was launched by West Sepik Governor, Tony Wouwou, and the Indonesian Consulate to Vanimo, Allen Simarmata.

Governor Wouwou pledged a K100,000 support from the Provincial Government with Consulate Simarmata proposing a border trade show event with Jayapura.

Business houses in Vanimo also threw in their support to see the event continue into the coming months.

Organisers of the show where happy with the outcome of the event.

“The opening of the market event was a success. Participants were very excited and happy. Even stakeholders and government rep were extremely overwhelmed by such event to help citizens of our province,” said Marjorie Babia-Tilai the committee’s secretary.

The next food and craft market show will be held on the 10th of April.

Assistant Police Commissioner of NCD, Anthony Wagambie Jnr, says he was impressed to see a lot of police officers graduate in various courses at Divine Word University yesterday.

“I’m quite impressed in the interest the police officers have shown in developing themselves.”

Wagambie, says most of the officers are self-sponsored, and had put in a lot of effort in furthering their studies.

“They made sacrifices’ like one of our young constable who paid his own way here to come and study.”

Wagambie is encouraging other police officers to also attend universities’, technical colleges and other institutions and must also be more involved in management training.

“We have to take that qualification and go out and serve the people otherwise this qualification is nothing. It must be used to serve others. Just achieving a diploma or degree is not worth anything if you can’t use it to serve others.”

Wagambie Jnr, who graduated with a Bachelor in Management at Divine Word University says so far police have in house trainings.

But there is a need for more policemen and women to mix around with people from different walks of life.

“It makes us become more community oriented, so we can start to understand how the community is. Police we are in our little community by ourselves, that’s why most of our problems comes because we don’t understand how the public are for example for myself I have been studying with the different members of the public, civilians and I get a lot of feedback from them. So, I get to feel how they feel. “It’s not only going there for academic qualification but so that we can mix with the community and get to understand how people feel. How people perceive us the police.”

Mr Wagambie says he has seen the importance of studies and going back to school and more importantly interacting with different people outside of the police force.

“They’re also in a management role so we share our ideas and I get to see how the corporate sector works. They’ve got different ways of handling situation so now I’ve achieved this degree and am thinking of continuing.”

Anthony Gregory Wagambie Jnr did his grade 11 and 12 at to Divine word back when it was an institute.

While waiting for his results Wagambie also applied to join the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and joined the force despite being selected at Divine Word to further his studies.

“I joined the police force as an officer cadet and I came back as a police officer when the flexible learning came about that have an opportunity for people in the workforce to come and study so that the time RPNGC sponsored some of the officers and we came back.”

I was supposed to graduate early but I was a mobile squad and I was traveling a lot during the operations and I wasn’t really focusing on my studies so I delayed it for a while.

So, it took me bit of time and in 2007 I graduated with my diploma so after 2007 by then I was already a PPC so I was caught up with my work I never even thought of coming back and completing my degree program.”

The ACP for NCD was among 725 graduates of Divine Word University who graduated in various courses yesterday during the school’s 40th graduation ceremony.

Solicitor General, Tauvasa Tanuvasa, upon instruction from the Attorney General, filed a Supreme Court Special Reference on Tuesday, under section 19(1) of the Constitution, in relation to persons who are intending to stand for the Elections.

This follows concerns raised by the Attorney General that there are interested parties or persons intending to stand for the elections with criminal convictions against them.

The Attorney General through the Solicitor General seeks to establish clarification from the supreme court through this reference as to whether persons who are convicted by a court of competence jurisdiction are eligible to nominate or eligible to stand for office.

With the National General Elections set to begin in April, the Solicitor General says he hopes to expedite the matter quickly, so clarification is obtained from the Supreme Court on questions raised in the Special Reference.

The questions in the Special Reference arise from section 103(3) and (6), and section 50(1) of the Constitution which relates to the right to vote and stand for public office and qualifications for and qualifications from membership.

While there are no similar Special Reference filed in the past, Tanuvasa says this Special

Reference is prompted by comments made by the Courts in relation to the case of Mr. James Yali, former Madang Governor, who was convicted and jailed for rape, later freed by the courts, and allowed to contest in the 2017 National General Elections.

Tanuvasa said, while Mr. Yali’s case was dealt with on its own merits, the questions that are now raised in the Special Reference relate to whether persons who have been convicted should then be allowed to stand for elections.

“This Special Reference in a way deals with the issue generally, so that all persons know where they stand in terms of the elections, adding this will assist the Electoral Commissioner to make decisions regarding persons who fall in this category.”

Other issues arise, in regards to ‘power of mercy’ committee. Whether people who go to ‘power of mercy committee’ after conviction are cleared (if approved by the committee). Conviction is on record, says Tanuvasa.

“The ‘power of mercy’ does not wipe clean the conviction. It only pardons, under s.103 of the Constitution.”

“This issue comes to light as a result of many concerns raised by the public, the people of Papua New Guinea. Adding the supreme court will help to clarify the issue before or during the elections.

“Those that fall in the category should then be mindful of whether they should contest the National General Elections,” he said.

With reference served to relevant parties under s.19(1) of the Constitution, the matter is set to have its first directions hearing next week Tuesday, 15th March 2022 to progress the matter to a full substantive hearing.

Boera village was officially given keys to a new two storey community Hall Building.

Mineral Resources Development Company Ltd (MRDC) under its Gas Resources PNG-LNG Plant Ltd (GR-PNGLNG PL) Community Infrastructure Trust Fund (CITF) with support from Exxon Mobil PNG, were able to deliver the project to Boera, one of the four impacted Central villages involved along the PNG-LNG plant site.

The CITF delivers infrastructural projects as a portion of benefits to these villages of which Boera is one of them.

Exxon Mobil Plant Manager, Justine Claudio said the partnership between two companies enables them to deliver CITF projects to the four villages at the plant site.

“We really appreciate the partnership with the Gas Resources and its directors since they took office, not only in this project but in other projects in all four villages located in the plant site”, said Claudio.

Meanwhile Managing Director for MRDC, Augustine Mano was honored to be part of the opening ceremony; he said this was one of the first villages to have received dividends to the PNG LNG projects.

“In 2016, in this very place we distributed the first dividends to the PNG-LNG project”.

“It was not easy to put a project like this, it’s the first of its kind that we have done under the CITF projects, creating a community centre is like a hub, where it becomes a venue to host certain occasions. We supported the proposal handed to us by the village councils”, said Mano.

Mr Mano said, investing in such infrastructural projects is a worthwhile investment as the last community hall lasted for at least 30 years and with the upgraded hall, it can go for another 30-40 years.

The opening ceremony was also witnessed by Kairuku-Hiri MP Peter Isoaimo who also presented a cheque of K10, 000 to the women fellowship group, who are the new care takers of the new Boera Community Hall.

Residents of Manam Island are in immediate need of food rations and other necessities after their housing and food and water sources were destroyed by heavy ashfall and scoria from the eruption on Tuesday night.

Yabu LLG President, Kenny Boli, said effects of the eruption were felt by Yassa, Zogari, Waia, Madauri and Dugulava villages.

Garden crops destroyed by ash
He said most of the islanders planted their food gardens closer to the crater of the volcano. Those gardens have now been destroyed by the eruption, leaving the islanders without food and clean drinking water.

The eruption once again highlights the existing plight of the islanders living in Care Centers on the mainland since being evacuated after two eruptions of the Manam Volcano in 2004 and 2005.

Those who moved to the Care Centers have been vocal about the daily struggles of living there. Land and resources are now scarce due to an increase in their population.

Boli is appealing to the Provincial Government through the disaster office, NGOs and stakeholders to assist the affected islanders.

Hundreds of Port Moresby residents have participated in a walk to launch the International Women’s Day, which will be celebrated on the 8th of March.

Hosted by Active City Development Program, under the National Capital District Commission, it is a call to accelerate equal participation of women in all aspects of life.

Continuous support towards this annual women employment program came from Spotlight Initiative, UNFP, UN Women and JICA.

With a number of events planned for this week the theme for IWD 2022 is *Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow

Yesterday’s walk started at Sir Hubert Murray station and ended at South Side at Koki