The Taminabae's are also famous musicians. They had a Gospel Band called the Higher Vision, and their Gospel music was very very popular in the 80's and still is...but I must say I am disappointed with Pastor Taminabae not as a Pastor and man of God, but as the Governor for Oro....Late last week I met an old friend, and I did know that he was one of the 76 candidate for the Oro Regional seat, in 2007, and he actually came 5ft, out of the 76...and his name is Robert Ralewa......Now I am stuck with a problem. Who do I support, Robert Ralewa or Gary Juffa...?...ok maski, I just stand back and watched, and may the best man win, but I hope for my sake, one of them wins, and the other comes a close second.
There is an Oro woman and her name is Jean whose husband is also a politician and he is also a Governor. He is Powes Parkop. Powes Parkop is from Manus, his wife is from Oro, but he is a West Papuan. Almost every second person that comes to HLM (Hohola Lareva Market) believes and they are so adamant and dogmatic about it that I usually don't bother to explain and I just let them believe that the Governor of NCD is from West Papua and because he was born in Manus, they gave him a Manus name. What you believe to true is "lareva" because Powes himself does not mind and I dont mind.
Here is the irony. in 2007 whilst Oro had 76 candidates contesting the Regional seat, here in the big smoke, for the NCD Regional seat, they had only 7 Candidates and of those 7 candidates, one was a woman it was not her "Second Time Around" but her first attempt and she was none other than Janet Sape. Mostly interestingly 5 of them were Highlanders, and two of them Coastal, that being Powes Parkop and off course the "Mi Wair Long Yu" Governor Wari Vele.
Those two coastal guys came first and second, and the difference in their voting numbers was like 15,000 votes in contrast to the votes between the second and the 3rd which was about 35,000 difference.
Now, why is that important. Well firstly it means that most likely a Highlander will not be successful because Highlanders don't trust each other in Port Moresby over the "feeding station" at the City Hall. If an Engan gets it, the Hagens will miss out, the Apos (Gorokas) will miss out, the Igiris (Taris & Souths) will miss out, and also the "wailo's" (Simbus)...so therefore a highlanders does not stand a good chance in NCD Regional. The Highlanders however trust a "Nambis" person sitting in City Hall.
Powes Parkop however has in the last 5 years whilst at the City Hall has removed the "feeding station" tag from City Hall, and to some extend the free handout culture that seems to persist with City Hall from the time the David Unagi was the Chairman.
David Unagi who was famous with his road signs that was seen everywhere, which read "Your sales Tax working for you" every time there was major pothole patching work was being done around the city.
David Unagi was also the person that started the settlement up on the "Beverly Hills" and took over the major highway to Hiritano from Port Moresby where John Kaupa on Friday protested on EMTV, and we have Manu Bobola complaining about it on Sharp Talk on Facebook. Back than it was rumored that David Unagi flew down his relatives from Simbu and settle them over there and they by the sheer numbers voted him for two terms in Parliament from 1987 and 1992. The settlement stayed and became what it is now.
Anyhow the questions remains to be asked is that will Powes Parkop have an easy run to finish this time? Well he definitely thinks so, and I certainly hope so. I personally could not care less but I know my neighbor on the right hand side of my house, that West Papuan Rugby Union coach will be severely disappointed if Powes Parkop looses. Powes Parkop is his hope to the freedom and independence of West Papua. So I am supporting my friend next door and off course I support the person he supports.
Powes Parkop has however upsets a few people already, especially the Buai sellers. He made a ruling and ban betelnut sale in public places. It took away the business from the people in the informal sector who were making a good living out of selling betelnut. I know its good money, because I am a Buai trader at the HLM (Hohola Lareva Market) and I know first hand what kind of money Buai sellers make. Its is good business, its lucrative, and profitable. That's why buai and betelnut have a say in the CPI (consumer price index).
People are now complaining about traffic jams, rubbish not collected, Baruni rubbish dump is an environmental disaster, and very soon, they will start to complain about NCDC not being prepared for the impact of the LNG Project and off course they will blame Powes Parkop. They will complain about the lack of parking space in downtown Pom, the hub of Private Sector, and already pictures are being taken of unhealthy filthy places in and around the city in an effort to put a stop by doing the name and shame. I guess they will name Powes and shame him......this is not good for Powes Parkop. I have to prevent i from happening.
More complaints, not to mention the high rate of unemployment. The "urban drift" is fast becoming a phenomenon. People from rural areas around Papua New Guinea, yes, around Papua New Guinea are flocking to Port Moresby and NCD in search of education and employment. Port Moresby is jammed packed with people and cars. Census has failed miserable so we cannot know the exact figure of how many people are currently living in Port Moresby, but my own rough guess, I thinks it is very close to 1 million.
Port Moresby has become a melting pot of indigenous Melanesian cultural and language diversity. And of the 800 or so different ones we have, due to the urban drift, you can find them all in Port Moresby. If you really want to know, just organise a group of people and then come and station yourselves at the entrance of HLM and ask all the people that come there to buy veges.
You will be surprise that you might get 800 before before lunch time. I swear, and I am telling the truth. Its no joke. If you still don't understand what I mean just wait until September, and attend the UPNG (University of PNG) cultural day, where the students representing their provinces puts a show and traditional dances. Reminds of me off, when I was a kid in the 70's and we would go to Port Moresby Show, until it wa abruptly stopped by the so called Port Moresby Show Society and since then we have had no fun places to go to except 5 mile during Christmas to see the lights and show which was introduced by Powes Parkop when he became the Governor about 4 years ago.
Okay, please understand Port Moresby is Port the same as when Hugo Berghuser was the Regional member or when the late Sir William Skate was the member. So that means Powes Parkop will have a hard time retaining his seat. Its not going to be easy.
If I was his adviser, I will tell Powes Parkop to be mindful that in 2007, Wari Vele lost the seat, and Powes Parkop did not win it. Do you understand what I am saying. What I mean is that Wari Vele had all the opportunity to win. As Governor he had power and money, that is his own money and that of City Hall. He had only two years in office and could not "deliver" including the fact that Wari Vele hired JT and PNG Gardener to deliver, meanwhile Powes Parkop won because he was making promises with his "one million ideas"...Well Powes & JT are a team, last week they celebrated their birthdays together at the State Function at the National Parliament, and they could not be separated no matter how hard you try...
How many candidates will be yield this time around for the NCD Regional. Well so far we have, based on hearsay, Wari Vele, Robert Agarobe, Lester Mam, and maybe Janet Sape, JT (..that's my wildcard for the betrayal of the century)....and I wonder who will. A couple of millionaires are contesting and they are Wari Vele and Robert Agarobe. The surprise package is Lester Mam. A Koiari. married to a Motuan from the Pari Village. He is know in the streets. He knows first hand how to reach to the voters, because he worked on the ground level for Bill Skate for 3 elections from 1992, so he knows how to campaign.......Yes Powes Parkop will not find it easy winning this elections based on "deliveries".....in the last 5 years he has delivered through JT and PNG Gardener, and I know Wari Vele will claim credit for hiring JT and PNG Gardener in 2006, one year before the 2007 Elections....
Ah well, it is all hot air and I am a bullshit artist, and so if you are reading this crap, I good on ya, because I am indeed the one only Abu Nawas.
ABU NAWAS Via PNG Blogs
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