Balancing the ledger on Belden Namah
30 May 2012
BY MOAIS GABUAR
I’M A SUPPORTER OF NEITHER Belden Namah nor Peter O’Neill and, just like millions of other well intentioned Papua New Guineans, it is my prayer that none of the current MPs are returned to Parliament.
That said, there are a few points I should make about Belden Namah.
First, with regards to Namah’s wealth. There has been much speculation about how he acquired such wealth within a short span of time.
For a start, let us be very clear here that he did not acquire it through corruption, theft or other dubious means.
He was just smart when going about gaining the support of the timber resource owners in the Bewani district of the Sandaun Province, who accorded him power of attorney to act on their behalf.
As he was paid his commission, he made wise investments and his wealth accumulated into what he has today: a self-made millionaire who simply used his God given brain. Nothing wrong with that one.
If he so desires to buy the Gold Coast Titans or buy half of Cairns with his own money, I would be last to whinge and envy him.
On the contrary, Somare and clan may be just as wealthy but their acquired wealth may not have been gained through ‘money trees’ as was the case with Namah.
Then there was the Falcon jet issue, the Sydney casino sexual harassment allegation, his storming of the Supreme Court and arrest of the chief justice.
I too have pondered these and concluded that they are questions that only O’Neill can and should answer (because Namah won’t; whilst Somare will continue to add more speculation).
After all, isn’t O’Neill the prime minister as opposed to Namah who is only the deputy?
Isn’t it the duty of the PM to ensure that a minimum standard of ethical conduct by his cabinet ministers is adhered to? Shouldn’t the buck stop with O’Neill as the CEO?
As it is, O’Neill lacks the courage, conviction and leadership to pull Namah into line.
Namah’s outrageous conduct to date is only demonstrative, and further confirmation, of O’Neill’s weakness and indecisiveness. So there you have it.
I think there is no need for us to talk/comment too much to Peter O'Neil and Belden Namah at this pointing time because we can talk and talk but nothing will happen following the comments that we made.At the same time, their time is come to the end and only couple of weeks remainning before the polling of the election begins.To avoid such things not to happen again later, individual people should make wise choices and vote for the right leader that will determined the new formation of liable and responsible government for next five years.After all,when we talking too much we are wasting our own time and creating frustration into ourselves and without knowing we are spoiling our own soul being that live in us.However,Papua New Guinea is the christian country,so whatever problems that we encounter in lives are to be given to the onwer of this nation.He is there to help us.
Posted by: Gordon Nanau | 31 May 2012 at 10:53 AM
Namah earned his wealth? You're really going to vouch for that Moais? You better check your facts buddy. No offence intended Moais - but this is a relatively weak piece.
Posted by: Tavurvur | 30 May 2012 at 11:52 AM
The suspicions about Namah are not so much about how he acquired his wealth, but his recent behaviour, and his call for a "strong new style of leadership" which hints disturbingly of the Bainimarama model.
O'Neill seems unable to rein him in.
PNG is way in advance of Australia by actually having a statutory leadership code - which outlines the ethical resonsibilites of leaders. The problem has been in the enforcement, not the spirit, of the code.
There was an excellent speech about this delivered by former Ombudsman, Peter Masi, back in 2005 - still well worth reading.
"Every citizen in the Pacific should now rise with the leaders and fight corruption; abuse of powers; misapplication of funds and improve governance and to clear the way for the effective delivery of all services, because our Leaders have chartered a course toward a new destiny."
Sadly in the last 7 years since Masi said this, little effective action seems to have been taken.
http://www.paclii.org/pg/OC/Speeches/Speech2.htm
Posted by: Peter Kranz | 30 May 2012 at 09:14 AM
Good points Moais, although I think there is more to Namah's outrageous conduct than O'Neill's weakness. At some point as adults we must take responsibility for our own behaviour.
Namah's recklessness and belligerence is, I believe, a combination of an excess of PNG's big man syndrome, and gaining too much wealth, too quickly.
The latter often appears to result in an intoxication of power with a sense of invincibility. We can see the same in some of our own billionaires.
It is a credit to Namah that he earned his wealth. He would command enormous respect, rather than the derision he currently endures, if he were to apply at least some of that wealth, and his obvious savviness to helping his nation.
Posted by: Alex Harris | 30 May 2012 at 07:53 AM