Post Courier 22/12/14 Bougainville New radio airs debate ABG President Momis The Bougainville administration is very corrupt, maybe more corrupt than PNG, says ABG President Momis. He said this in an open debate between with a well-known ex-combatant (name withheld) of the then Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) during the launching of the Radio Ples Lain – ABG’s mobile radio station last week in Buin, South Bougainville. The debate was broadcast by the new radio station, enabling listeners all over Buin to assess the nature of the verbal exchange. President Momis was furious when he was openly accused of having business interests in an oil palm project in Madang. Other accusations were also thrown at the former Catholic priest. The former BRA man accused the president after one of his project submissions was not approved by the president’s office. President Momis plainly told the ex-combatant that there were complaints from other project recipients in an earlier project, which was approved but they never benefited except the ex-combatant. “I am the custodian of the people’s money and will only allow its release to facilitate economic and social development,” the President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government said. “Another ex-combatant from Buin secretly told me one evening at a Catholic seminar in Central Bougainville that such corrupt practice by ex-combatant commanders does not make the walk towards referendum firm.” The ex-combatant said in Tok Pisin: “We all agreed and signed for the ceasefire and the peace agreement but we now realise that only our commanders are benefiting from government funds and not us. “That is why we do not believe in the referendum and we will keep our guns and are ready to fight if things go wrong. We hear of big funds approved for major projects in our area but we never get to benefit.” Meanwhile, Mr Momis has announced that the Bougainville administration will see a complete overhaul to its manpower. “By January 2015 we will have a new chief administrator and 30 new divisional secretaries. The Bougainville Administration is very corrupt maybe more corrupt than PNG,” Mr Momis said. One pillar of the Bougainville Peace Agreement is complete disarmament of all guns and ammunition, he said. Once this and a few others are achieved, Bougainville can vote for referendum, he said.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:40:40 +0000
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