THE Prime Minister’s MSG apology was in order, appropriate and necessary to atone the follies committed by the former MSG Chair (current DPM) .
Sir you do not need to explain why you had apologized. You’ve shown great leadership.
I’m drawn to the debate by crap being made in Parliament.
The DPM’s belittling remarks about me in Parliament are crap. I’m puzzled.
Anyway, the organization I left was fully functional contrary to his contention otherwise.
Yes we had cashflow issues but those were nothing new. They had been inherited because members were not paying their dues on time.
For the information of the DPM, I had modernized the Secretariat and built it up to a high standard so that we were able to maintain a reputation that had attracted other organizations to partner and learn from what we were doing.
It’s therefore a surprise to me that the former chair is now claiming that I had rundown the organization.
What proof does he have, I ask?
Even with cashflow difficulties, we were delivering and were meeting all the priorities set for us by Leaders.
We never failed to deliver on one single priority set by the Leaders.
Not one. In fact all the Leaders that were there since my recruitment had been impressed with what the MSG Secretariat had been achieving.
Only those, especially the some Foreign Ministers had other ideas because I stood in the way when they wanted to impose their own agendas on the Secretariat .
The MSG is an organization for all members, not just one or two.
His claim that I was incompetent is laughable.
I’m not sure who he was talking about because someone who is incompetent wouldn’t know what he was supposed to do and he or she will be failing in their duties.
I was neither.
All the initiatives that the MSG have been, and are, working on including the recently signed revised MSG Trade Agreement have been developed during my tenure.
I can say more but there is no point.
It seems to me the DPM was trying to find a scapegoat to justify his illegal actions.
His action in unilaterally appointing the DG was an abuse of due process. So were his other actions which have been publicly intimated by the PM.
Also his outburst against the PMs of PNG and Fiji was totally inappropriate.
A Leaders’ decision taken in a retreat once accepted becomes a collective decision.
Protocol would dictate that no Leader can claim that he wasn’t part of that decision.
So it’s not the two Leaders that should apologize because the decision to admit Indonesia as an associate member in MSG was a collective one.
Ironically, the DPM was the Chair of that retreat. He didn’t use his prerogative to try and change the Leaders decision.
So in effect, as the chair he has failed the people of West Papua despite his many public strong statements.
Finally, his claim he had handed over a fully functional organization is spot on.
The Secretariat was always fully functional despite its cashflow difficulties. That’s how I left it.
The reforms that had been recently introduced were unnecessary and stand to harm the operations of the Secretariat than strengthen it.
These were not well considered and targeted.
An example was that despite saying that the DDG post will be abolished as part of the reforms, they were forced to backtrack and have since recruited a new Deputy.
But as it now turns out.
The recruitment was not for the exigency of the MSG but to cover for the DG’s illegal unpaid leave.
But I’m glad the Chair had changed so that some order can be brought to the MSG.
The former Chair couldn’t assess the advice tendered to him by officials and others.
He took these on face value and the results are the controversial decisions he took.
With due respect, I believe the former chair had been misled and may have been a puppet of one particular member.
Not the new Chair. He is a leader who is tactful and smart.
We will see big and positive changes in MSG. And once again the MSG will flourish.
For I know the PM of PNG. He is a strong and wise leader. He will steer the MSG forward prudently.
Also we have good leaders around the MSG and I believe good years for the MSG are ahead.
In addition, the apology by our Prime Minister has brought the group together again, paving the way for forging a stronger MSG.
So good on you PM.
Know Sir that from humility comes greatness.
By PETER FORAU
Former MSG director general
Honiara
