Keep shining & serving the government of the day
04 August 2017
JORDAN DEAN
PETER O’Neill’s re-election as prime minister on Wednesday was received with a mixture of emotions by many Papua New Guineans.
For some, it was with a sigh of relief as they wanted stability and continuity of policies and initiatives from the previous government.
For many others, it was a bitter defeat as the Alliance carried their hopes to resuscitate the economy and weed out corruption.
Like everyone else, public servants had their own perceptions about who they felt was the best person to hold the top post.
I am not interested in judging their opinions but remind fellow public servants that we’ve sworn an oath to serve the government of the day whether we like it or not.
The new government has a new agenda (Alotau Accord II) which it will move forward to implement.
There has already been, and will continue to be, much discussion and debate about the agenda, how it fits into national development plans and what choices will need to be made along the way. This will require focus and effort from us.
In the next weeks and months, as Alotau Accord II is clarified and the direction set, we need to look sideways and outside for help but equally we need to look to our provinces and districts. This balance requires good leadership.
A government is sustained only through the hard work and extraordinary efforts and sacrifice of the people who serve the country they love. We salute the police and polling officials who lost their lives during this year’s election.
Public servants should be focused on the delivery of public services – providing health care, educating our children, collecting tax or providing security. We want a public service that will deliver on time and on budget.
At the end of the day, it’s about putting a smile on someone’s face or saving a life or educating a child or simply knowing that our work helps make someone’s life a little bit better.
It’s central to our role as public servants. When a new government is elected, we stand impartial and ready to implement their decisions. We may not like the person but we have to respect the office. Prime ministers come and go but we will remain as the agents of change.
Let’s do the best we can in whatever we’re good at. Let’s keep shining!
‘At whose door will history leave the blame for the helpless, hopeless fix we are left in – rotting with disease and told to take it easy?’ General, Sir Ian Hamilton, diary entry, Gallipoli, October 7, 1915 taken from Readers Digest April 2015 special 100 years Gallipoli anniversary issue.
Posted by: `Daniel Kumbon | 08 August 2017 at 11:18 AM
Valid points raised by John and Lindsay. One can contribute his or her part and hope everyone else in the public service are doing their part too.
MTDP 3 is been formulated with wealth creation as the main focus. Let's just hope political agenda doesn't override it.
Posted by: Jordan Dean | 05 August 2017 at 01:39 PM
In development of the agenda termed 'Alotau Accord II' what contribution was asked of women, what contribution came from women, what component conveys consideration and service delivery that honours and helps women, what transparency in wrapped 'de plume' (Alotau Advert too) on a political deal that enshrines, ensures, entrenches bigmanism by project pocketing of pollies (Acquittal Actuarially too?)...what answers from public servants?
What intention in having 'sworn an oath to serve the government of the day' and what intention was put in the words so framed for swearing, and what measure of such words with respect to the agendas termed 'constitution' and 'organic law'?
Questions above in no way detract from timely and appropriate call made by Jordan and as such by all those public servants for whom their sense of participation and actual effect is contributory, positively to the Independent State of PNG. Let cheer have fullness. Let courage too embolden and embellish enterprise delivering service to the public, lawfully and in accordance with 'constitution' and 'organic law' but also let lawlessness evince question not quietude.
Posted by: Lindsay F Bond | 04 August 2017 at 10:34 PM
Top public servants need to advise the government of the day to come up with "fragmatic" and "practical" policies backed by real resource support.
We need to move on with very critical areas of both the social and economic sector.
But if members of the current government or any government are in there to only get from the system and the country, we can hope to wait for another 50 to 100 years for real positive change to sweep over this country.
Until we really we what really constitute Alotau Accord 2, I cannot really say anything on it! Hopefully that it will include some of the most pressing development and nation building issues and needs that are facing the country right now.
Posted by: John K Kamasua | 04 August 2017 at 09:54 PM