Truth is not enough; there is a need for conviction

BUSA JEREMIAH WENOGO

“THE truth will set you free.” Since the day I first saw those words some 20 years ago, I have often pondered them.

Lately I’ve come to the conclusion that the truth can only set us free through conviction. Knowing the truth may be just the first step to freeing oneself and not the end result.

From this perspective, truth is not the end but the means through which we are empowered to be free. Knowing something is wrong is not enough. If, by conviction, one is forced to go against wrongful actions then it can be said that we have freed ourselves from those wrongs.

In Papua New Guinea we have been a victim of this fallacy. There are times when we see violence played out before us or injustice visited upon the marginalised and poor of the society, yet we ignore these things opting instead to find comfort in the thought that it is none of my business. We tend to want to shove it off to someone else (most notably government) to deal with.

When we read in the papers about our leaders at all levels indulging in corrupt practices we remain content assuming that it’s all politics and it’s not our problem. We prefer to react when corruption directly affects us.

However, by the time one tries to react, the problem has multiplied to an extent where it requires collective action to remedy it. It is this kind of behaviour that causes some outsiders to ask if modern PNG society conforms to any kind of logic.

This is because, logically, whenever something is wrong, people tend to rise up and protest, yet in PNG we have rarely done that.

Historically, we do have a record of student-led nationwide strikes over various national issues but always marred by unruly behaviour of “opportunists”. These people do not care about the truth and they certainly lack any conviction to fight for a cause that is for the common good.

Worker-led demonstrations in PNG are a rarity and when they do occur they tend to be confined to a particular industry or subsector driven by agendas that aim to address conditions of workers. In general PNG workers do not step beyond the boundary to voice concerns that affects the nation as a whole.

It is a mystery that baffles the local educated elite and foreigners. How could Papua New Guineans accept corruption knowing full well its consequences on their wellbeing?

If Papua New Guineans in general were asked this question, almost everyone would express dissatisfaction about corruption. However, only a few would commit to take any concrete steps to address the issue.

The cultural aspects of life influence very much the way we perceive leaders and leadership in PNG. Our “bigman” mentality, where we revere and respect our clan leaders, has unfortunately created an atmosphere conducive to bigman-led corruption to flourish to a point where it is “systematic and systemic” as succinctly described by Sir Mekere Morauta.

Corruption in this case is a pyramid system with the bigmen at the helm maintaining their grip on power through wantokism and bribery. An so corruption in PNG has woven its way into and planted itself in the basic fibre of our nationhood making it almost impossible to root out.

In such an environment, most Papua New Guineans may know the truth but that does not necessarily mean they have the conviction to stand up and fight for a better and fairer outcome for all.

For those who decide to persevere, fighting corruption may come at a huge cost. Yet their constructive actions are the key to reining in corruption. Truth to them is a tool to set the oppressed free.

Knowing that something is corrupt does not rid a situation or an individual from corruption. What will generate change is a conviction to do something that leads to a series of actions to change the mindsets and attitudes of people to take a collective stand against corruption.

Truth without conviction is meaningless, like a genius with ideas but no inventions. 

Via http://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2015/10/truth-is-not-enough-there-is-a-need-for-conviction.html#more

Food and water shortages challenge us; planning is the answer

BUSA JEREMIAH WENOGO

NEWS about the water level at the Sirinumu Dam dropping to an all-time low got me thinking about what would happen if we ran out of water.

One of my good friends whom I bumped into few days ago probably summed up the situation well. He said if the dam runs out of water, the people in the Port Moresby settlements will go on a rampage.

Water pipes will be ripped apart or dug up to free the remaining water while shops will be looted as people go in search of bottled water. This conjured in my mind images of the Mad Max movies.

I wonder what would happen if food shortages due to drought strike Moresby at the same time we experience a drop in the city’s main dam?

Stories of drought-related deaths in the highlands already indicate the severity of the situation.  Experts say this is the worst drought since 1997 and speculation is that it will continue into 2016. If it does we can only pray that it does not hit a highly populated area.

The current state of the economy is not helping. PNG, which is already said to be reaching crisis point. If things get worse it may affect our ability to import food whichwould be catastrophic for PNG.

Food and water, two of human’s necessities for survival, are what keep us sane. Without them, pandemonium reigns – 6,000 years of civilisation brought to chaos as war and destruction of property become rampant.

Peace and harmony replaced by fear, anxiety and desperation.

Since moving with my family to Erima settlement three years ago, I have seen how desperate people become when water is not accessible. They walk for hours just to get to the nearest tap.

I often hear women arguing over water. Sometimes they argue the shortage is due to someone not paying a water bill while at other times they argue over petty matters relating to taps.

We don’t want to see things reach a crisis because surely fights will erupt and even lives will be lost.

Yet we have no excuse for bringing this situation upon ourselves given that mostly we have an abundance of fresh water and food to sustain our needs. We have been described as the food bowl of the world because of our large agricultural base.

Historically PNG is said to be the home of the first subsistence farming. But right now the reality is that food security is a global concern and PNG is no different.

When we get back to normality, we must ensure that PNG agriculture does not lag behind the extractive industries in terms of government priorities. Farmers need to be prepared well in advance for drought and frost.

Foods able to withstand harsh conditions need to be identified and embraced. Such an approach will ensure that we maintain a consistent supply of food to feed our growing population in bad times as well as good.

With water we need to take a similar approach. Our fresh water reserve is such that at one point the Southern Highlands Government was looking at piping fresh water to Queensland. It’s about time the government explored options to support the Sirinumu Dam.

We cannot go on being reactive to crises because that can be fatal. Droughts, frost and economic crisis are things that PNG is familiar with and it’s about time we had contingency plans to withstand their adverse effects. 

Is PNG headed for a bust? And another rebuild, regain, restore?

BUSA JEREMIAH WENOGO

THE last time Papua New Guinea experienced a major economic crisis and a devastating drought was in 1997 when the late Sir Bill Skate was prime minister.

Skate was the leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC), now the lead coalition political party under the leadership of Peter O’Neill.

After failing to resuscitate the economy and with a kina in free fall, Skate and the PNC were voted out of power in a vote of no confidence by the People’s Democratic Party led by Sir Mekere Morauta.

It so happens that the present PNC-led government is in the middle of its own turmoil with the nation said to be experiencing a cash flow crisis made worse by one of the worst droughts in history.

It is interesting that these two events have occurred in the lifetime of a PNC-led government. Not to say that PNC is a political party destined to bring doom but the coincidence is too good to be ignored.

Recently I bumped into a friend who, like every concerned Papua New Guinean, is worried sick about what is to become of PNG in the next year or so as we face the inevitable truth that we are already deep into a crisis, the extent of which we do not know.

Having been bombarded with news about recent developments in the economy and the water crisis at Sirinumu dam, Port Moresby’s main water supply, he could not help but contemplate the consequences that could arise if the economy crashed and water supplies hit rock bottom.

He feared that it will not be long before water to most settlements will be cut and more people will be made jobless giving way to pandemonium, lawlessness and social disorder in Port Moresby and other PNG towns.

Using the analogy of water in a tank he told what would happen in PNG as the economic and water situation got worse.

In a tank filled to the brim with water it is hard to notice the debris and fungus at the bottom. However, as the water level drops, the bottom of the tank becomes visible and the debris and the fungus are exposed.

At the same time, the water gets smelly and the only logical thing to do is to empty the tank and refill it with clean water.

This, my friend forecast, is what will happen with corruption in PNG.
Sooner or later the whole rotten mess of corruption in PNG will be exposed and gotten rid of. The problem is when it will happen and who will do it.

I realised from the conversation that the question of when corruption will be 
brought under control is something that rings loud in the hearts and minds of most Papua New Guineans.

Corruption in this country has seen widespread inequality and a yawning gap develop between rich and poor.

Ordinary Papua New Guineans like my friend are asking if the price of basic goods and services will ever come down. By now every Papua New Guinean knows that cost of living will always go up regardless of what happens in the economy.

In a developed, well-functioning economy that should not be the case, as prices should readily adjust to market conditions. In PNG unfortunately there is much unseen market intervention that seemed to work in the favour of the wealthy ruling class.

The sad truth in all this is that a large portion of Papua New Guineans - including blue, brown and green collar workers plus a large population of the middle income class who are the engine of growth - will always be playing catch-up.

In rural areas, after 40 years of independence, most of the folks are still living in a pre-modern state with little knowledge of what is happening in cities like Port Moresby and Lae let alone in the world. The state of most public utilities and services are deplorable. This is where it gets really unfair.

As I look back on our country’s history, I notice that what happened after 1997 was a period of rebuilding, regaining and restoring of the PNG economy.

Sweeping reforms initiated by the Morauta government brought back stability and confidence in all sectors of the economy. This provided a platform for the subsequent Somare government to roll-out plans to further boost PNG’s economy.

The LNG development, PNG’s largest project ever, is a result of those years of sustained stability and visionary reforms. What this country needs now – if it is not too late - is a government that will use the gains to lift the entire nation to another level. We should not go back and start all over again.

The world is moving and Papua New Guineans are striving for better lifestyles and improved living standards. It is totally unacceptable that, since we have opened our doors for our natural resources to be exploited for the purpose of prosperity, we still have some of the worst social indicators anywhere in the world.

Again a reflection of the crippling nature of corruption that has pushed this nation to its knees and sucked the life out of it.

The period after the Bougainville crisis until 1997 were painful years for PNG. My father who was a National provident Fund (now NASFUND) contributor, along with several thousand blue collar workers, lost a large chunk of his contribution due to corruption.

However, being uneducated, he and most of the blue collar workers felt it was beyond their reach to demand compensation from the government. Justice still needs to be served to those criminals who were responsible for the nation’s biggest white collar heist in history.

Those were lost years that some of us, including my friend, grew up in and wish never to experience again in our lifetime. Yet here we are with all signs pointing to a repeat.

If that part of PNG’s history does repeat itself, history has shown that the next crop of leaders will have to rebuild, regain and restore this nation and set its future to rights once again.

The miserable part about all of this is that most Papua New Guineans, like my father, my friend and I, will have to experience the whole dreadful cycle within the same generation. All we can do now is brace ourselves for what is to come.

Via http://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2015/10/is-png-headed-for-a-bust-and-another-rebuild-regain-restore.html

The wolves are devouring us in broad daylight

BUSA JEREMIAH WENOGO

THE phrase “Papua New Guinea has gone to the dogs” is no longer relevant in describing the extent of corruption in our country. It does not go nearly far enough.

We all stand astonished at the magnitude and pace at which corruption has accelerated in PNG in the last decade or so.

The state of service delivery in most parts of PNG is at a pitiful state even when we are in the middle of a “boom” - the boom was supposed to usher in a new era in our nation’s history where we could look forward to a more equitable and fairer society.

Yet in the 40 years of its nationhood, PNG has gone from a progressive nation to one of the most backward developing nations on earth.

The irony is that, all this time, we have been rated as one of the most resource rich nations. Thanks largely to PNG LNG we have witnessed unprecedented growth in our economy in the last decade yet I can’t help wondering what we were raving about when the reality is that this project was not as “transformational” as it was predicted to be.

The landowners of Hides and Moran are constantly threatening the government with closure of the project sites if their demands are not met while the State has not been honest in accounting for the revenue inflows that should be arriving as the shipment of gas takes effect.

In fact, one would assume that the revenue from LNG would rescue PNG’s economy from its dire situation. Yet this does not seem to be the case and questions are now being raised of the whereabouts of this money.

I have come to the conclusion that this nation is been fed to a pack of wolves who are indulging in devouring it in broad daylight.

Service delivery has been turned on its head to facilitate massive fraud with huge ‘variation costs’ and ‘off the book’ contract fees.

Let’s not kid ourselves, the ferocity associated with corruption in PNG has left this nation licking its wounds big time. While the wolves howl for more, the majority is forced to stop the bleeding that is the hallmark of the savagery against this country.

This nation is heading for a very bad place if we don’t stem the leakages that are allowing corruption to thrive under our noses. Somewhere, somehow, something has to give.

We can be sure the wolves are not contemplating an end to their grand scheme anytime soon. They constantly prowl the corridors of our public institutions hoping to identify loopholes and weaknesses they can pounce on.

They are cunning and menacing and ungrateful, giving no consideration to the consequences of their actions nor offering respect to our Constitution.

The very laws and public institutions that are supposed to work for the public good are being infiltrated and plundered for the gain of a few.

My belief is that this “steal from the majority and feed the minority” approach will not last long. They cannot suppress the truth and Melanesian culture is unlikely to enable the establishment of a “ruling class” which will exist in contradiction to the wishes of the people.

What we are witnessing is the creation of an environment for the emergence of “people power” as a legitimate means to end this chaos of theft and deceit. People will not be too long isolated from the benefits that they as a nation are supposed to be enjoying.

We have been our own worst enemy, deliberately turning a blind eye to corruption that is staring us in our faces.

We hope that it is just a bad dream and that all will be well when we awake from our bed. When something is wrong we tend to take a bystander approach. All of us are good at that. Hypocrisy is what we are good at.

The truth (and I hate to admit it) is that we are living in a country that is being designed to feed the wolves. When we become concerned and seek the truth, the wolves’ growl at Mother Corruption, the very mother that feeds them so well, as if they do not know her.

They duck for cover, jump in circles and bend the rules to preserve the power of their greed. They have done it so well so far, with no real opposition from citizens, that they are now chronic thieves living in a system of thievery.

Papua New Guinea belongs to the nearly eight million Papua New Guineans who are scattered from highlands to coast to islands but its riches are plundered to satisfy the greed of a minority few.

When they get caught in the act they scurry to preserve their “integrity” using for themselves the power that has been bestowed on them for the public good.

In a nation run by wolves, private interest is paramount to public interest. The wolves run the country for themselves.

Via PNG Attitude http://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2015/10/the-wolves-are-devouring-us-in-broad-daylight.html

All signs lead to a need to rebuild, regain and restore

By Busa Jeremiah Wenogo

The last time PNG experienced a major economic crisis and a devastating drought was in 1997 when the late Sir Bill Skate was the Prime Minister. Late Skate was the leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC) a political party that is now heading the coalition government with Peter O’Neill as the leader and Prime Minister. Failing to resuscitate the economy and the sliding Kina Sir Skate and his PNC were voted out of power in a vote of no confidence by the People’s Democratic Party headed by Sir Mekere Morauta. It so happened that at present a PNC led government is now in the middle of a turmoil with the nation already said to be experiencing cash flow crisis made worse by one of its worst drought in history. What is profoundly interesting is that these two events have occurred in the lifetime of a PNC led government. This is not to say that PNC is a political party destined to bring doom but the coincidences are too “good to be ignored”.

Yesterday I bumped into a friend of mine who like every concerned Papua New Guineans was worried sick about what is to become of PNG in the next year or so as we face the inevitable truth that we are already deep into a crisis albeit the extent of that crisis is still yet to be known. Having been bombarded with news about the recent developments concerning the economy and the water crisis facing Sirinumu dam in Sogeri, he could not help contemplate the consequences that could arise once the economy “crash” and the water level “hits rock bottom”. He feared that not long water to most settlements will be cut and more people will be made “jobless” giving way for pandemonium and with it, lawlessness and social disorder to flourish in Port Moresby and other centers of PNG. Almost like a scene out of the movie “Armageddon”.

Using the situation of water in a tank he told me an analogy of what would happen in PNG as the economic and water situation gets worse.  In a tank filled to the brim with water it is hard to notice the debris including the fungus he said. However as the water level drop the bottom of the tank becomes visible until the debris and the fungus are exposed. At the same time the water starts to get smelly and the only logically thing to do would be to empty the tank and refill it with clean water. This he said is what is going to happen with corruption in PNG. Sooner or later the whole rot and mess that is the fabric of corruption in PNG is going to be exposed and gotten rid off.  The only problem he told me is “when” that is going to happen and who is going to do it.

I realize from that conversation with my friend that the question of “when” all these rot that is corruption will be brought under control is something that rings aloud in the hearts and minds of most Papua New Guineans. Corruption in this country has seen widespread inequalities and a gaping gap between the rich and the poor. Everyday ordinary Papua New Guineans like my friend are asking if the prices of basic goods and services is ever going to come down. By now every Papua New Guineans have this general idea that cost of living is always going to go up regardless of what happens in the economy. In a developed well functioning economy that should not be the case as prices should readily adjust to conditions on the market. In PNG unfortunately there is so much “unforeseen” market interventions that seemed to work in the favour of the wealthy ruling class. The saddest truth from all this is that a large portion of Papua New Guineans which includes the “blue, brown and green collar” workers plus a large population of the middle income class who are the engine of growth, will always be playing catch-up as a “minority” rich drive up the cost of living in this country. In the rural areas after 40 years of independence most of the folks are still living in pre-modern state with very little knowledge of what is happening in the world let alone in cities like Port Moresby and Lae. The state of most of the public utilities and services there are deplorable. This is where it gets really unfair.  

As I look back to PNG’s history I noticed that what happened after 1997 was a period of rebuilding, regaining and restoring” of the PNG’s Economy. Sweeping reforms initiated by the Morauta led government in all sectors began to bring back stability and confidence. This provided the platform for the Somare led government to roll-out plans to boost the PNG’s economy. The PNG LNG arguably PNG’s largest project to date is a result of those years of sustain stability and visionary reforms. What this country needs now is a government that should use those windfall gains to lift this entire nation from where it is now to another level. We should not go back and start all over again. The world is moving and Papua New Guineans are striving for a better lifestyle and improved living standards. It is totally unacceptable that since we have open our doors for our natural resources to be exploited for the purpose of prosperity, we still have some of the worst social indicators anywhere else in the world. Again a reflection of the crippling nature of “corruption” that has gripped this nation to its knees and sucked the life out of it.

The years after the Bougainville crisis up until 1997 were some of the most ‘painful years” for PNG. My father who was a NPF (now NASFUND) contributor along with several thousand “blue collar” workers lost a large chunk of their contribution due to “corruption”. However, being uneducated he and most of the “blue collar” workers “felt it was beyond their reach” to demand some form of compensation from the government. Justice needs to be served to those who were responsible for the nation’s biggest “white collar” heist in recent history. Those were the lost years that some of us including my friend grew up in and wished never to experience in our lifetime. Yet here we are with all signs pointing to a repeat of that history. If that part of PNG’s history does repeat itself history has shown us that the next crop of leadership will have to “rebuild, regain and restore” this nation’s economy and set its future right once again. The really miserable part about all of this is that most Papua New Guineans like my father and myself will have to experience the whole “ups and downs” within the same generation. That means that we will have to start all over again. While destiny and history decide the fate of this nation all we can do now is brace ourselves for what is to come.