Academia Nomad

Who is to be blamed for PNG’s mess: Colonialism, consultants, or PNGeans?

Many have criticised a recent post on the awarding the PNG VC trophy to Unitech without a finals being played. But the main message of the post was how rules are bent in PNG at their convenience, and then rationalised after the fact. Sadly many missed the main message. So here’s another example of bending the rules in PNG:

Last month the Constitutional Law Reform Commission (CLRC) completed a nationwide consultation gauging views on whether the prime minister should be elected directly by the people as in a presidential system. The directive to do this came from the national government.

Why the need to change the current system?

Because the government thinks that the unicameral parliamentary system is “not working”?

The obvious question therefore is: is the current parliamentary system not working for PNG because it’s a bad system, or because PNG is not using the parliamentary system as it is supposed to be used?

The latter is true. You see, in a parliamentary system elsewhere, the politicians (MPs) are lawmakers. They are NOT service deliverers! In PNG, MPs are both lawmakers and service deliverers.

Why does this dual role matter?

Because MPs are more concerned with their service delivery roles whilst their lawmaking responsibilities suffer. In 2020, 500kg of cocaine was discovered on the outskirts of Port Moresby when the plane carrying it crashed. The pilot and those involved couldn’t be charged because cocaine at the time was not regarded an “illicit drug” by PNG’s Drug Act 1954. Imagine having a law that was outdated by more than half a century.

A year later, meth was discovered. Again, the person producing it couldn’t be charged because the Drug Act 1954 didn’t recognise meth as an illicit drug.

It gets worse: we have 370 laws in PNG, according to CLRC, that are outdated by more than half a century, and of no practical use.

Whose role is it to update these laws?
Your politicians.

Why aren’t they updating it? Because they are busy delivering services.

Is delivering services the MPs role? NO

Who gave MPs the additional service delivery role? The MPs themselves. They amended the organic law in 1995, and then created the District Development Act in 2014, to make themselves service deliverers.

About K1. 5 billion is given to these MPs to deliver services. K10 million to Open MPs every year, and K5 million times the number of Districts to the Governors. These funds are commonly known in PNG as DSIP/PSIP funds.

How is the service delivery in your provinces now that your MPs are controlling more than a billion Kina?

The Auditor General this year said only 40% of the MPs submitted acquittals for the millions they spend the year before. The rest didn’t. And even for those who acquitted, we have not idea whether projects were actually implemented.

You see your MPs switching from one side of the parliament to another. Why do they do this? Because they want to be on the side of the government, which controls the DSIP/PSIP.

Your MPs have no interest in making laws, providing representation in parliament, or holding the government accountable. They made themselves services deliverers, and instead of making laws, they pride themselves in delivering services. With very low to no accountability, they spend millions through DSIP/PSIP. When they don’t have enough, they borrow and plunge the country into more debt. To get the loans, the give into conditions set by the institutions offering these loans, like the IMF.

So if you’re supporting “bending of rules” or “bending of accepted norms and conventions”, you should be happy with:

Kina devaluation
uncontrollable debts
Lack of service delivery
corrupt MPs misusing funds
outdated laws
escalating crime

The parliamentary system is not working because it’s conventions are not being followed. Now the government wants a presidential style of electing your prime minister? Nothing will stop the presidential styled prime minister from bending more rules now that he is not subject to a vote of no confidence.

We shouldn’t condone bending of rules and conventions. Whether it’s traffic rules, VC’s CUP finals, or what the role of the MPs should be.

We have a tendency to bend the rules, and when it doesn’t work, we say it was introduced by the white man. And then we bend the new system we adopt, and when it doesn’t work we blame the consultants who advised us.

We are a country that refuses to accept accountability. We rationalise our way out of every mess. We support our tribes and schools and communities against the most basic and illogical mistakes.

This country is being plundered not by foreigners (if foreigners are involved, it’s with the permission of rule bending Papua New Guineans), but by its own citizens who have no regard for rules and conventions. This country is in a mess because everyone from politicians to the streets bend the rules.

Remembrance Day: stories from my grandfathers

Today is public holiday in PNG remembering the courage of those who fought in the Second World War – it’s actually a beautiful day in Port Moresby. Makes me think of the stories from my grandparents about the Second World War.

One of the my fond memories growing up was village kids sitting around a fire and listening to stories and legends from our grandmothers and grandfathers, and occasionally from those who travelled to town and had seen movies like “Saving Private Ryan”. A few old men from our village – Kabuni Village in Tufi, Oro Province, had served as “carriers” in the Second World War. I heard about the tales of war from old men who acted as guides, scouts, and carriers of war. Below are my recollections of the stories told to us:

Bravery of the young Australian soldiers

According to my grandfathers, the young Australian soldiers fought the hardest, the bravest, and suffered the most in the battle for Gona, Buna and Sananada. My grandfathers told of how the young Australian soldiers would tell the allied forces, mostly Americans, that this is “our war” and took on the front line. This story is not verified, but it would make sense for Australians to regard the war in PNG as theirs – both as an Australian colony and proximity to Australia.

Atrocities against the Japanese

According to my grandfathers, the allied forces slaughtered the Japanese by the hundreds, if not throusands, even after they surrendered. Some were gunned down with their hands raised as the battle drew to an end on the beaches of Buna, Gona and Sananada – the sea was red with blood.

The Holy Cross

There’s a costal village in Oro, a part of it re-named “Holy Cross.” As the Japanese advanced, the Anglican missionaries left one of their mission bases. One for the Japanese bullets hit the Cross on the the church ⛪️ ground. As they got closer, it is said that the cross bled. A Japanese officer wrote a note, and stuck it on the Cross with instructions that the Cross and the Church be preserved. This note is said to be picked up later and preserved somewhere in Museums (someone from these areas can provide more insights). It’s not clear whether it was blood from the many casualties of war or the Cross literally bled. But it was significant enough for the story to remain to this day, with the church ground renamed Holy Cross. I saw the cross, weathered and old before it crumbled. There was no blood as it was weathered over the years.

The Hot Nurses

According to these old men, the King of England realised that soldiers were low on moral, so ordered that the prettiest nurses be sent to work in the war zones, with instructions to be promiscuous. One of my grand fathers said that the week after the nurses arrived and diligently performed His Majesty’s decree, there was a transformation in the mood of the young “red-faced” solders taking on the front lines.

Highly protected individuals: was he Jesus?

One day, someone visited. But he was so special he was highly protected. Some even said he was a spirit. Some thought it was the Jesus the British missionaries used to talk about.

Living in caves

Majority of my people lived in caves at the height of war. Men went out at night to look for food. One day, supply boats of the Japanese were bombed. The goods of the yellow men were washed ashore. It was a great time of feasting in the caves.

The Mighty Japanese

They talked of the spirit of the Japanese not to give up. The Japanese would climb a sago palm tree and entrench themselves with their machine guns and fight to the death.

The cost of war on carrier communities…

Some of the carriers lost their lives. Because post traumatic disorder was not in our culture, and wasn’t even a thing in the West until later on, there were many kids who were raised during the war era that may have lived onto to adulthood with trauma. As the US-China rivalry intensifies, it’s worth remembering that whenever two giants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.

Cash for grades at UPNG?

At the beginning of July, Post Courier newspaper ran a story titled “cash for grades” following accusations from a Facebook post that senior IT employees from the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) accepted cash to change grades. This accusation resulted in UPNG announcing a system wide investigation. Below is an explainer of how the system works, and what to do about it.

The IT Department

The IT Department itself has no powers to change grades. They enter the grades as approved by the university education board (UEB). If the IT is accused for changing grades, it’s an easy fix. Just check the final grade on the transcript, with the UEB list. If the IT changes grades, it should look different from the UEB approved grades.

Some of the accusations are usually because of a misunderstanding of the process. When the lecturer submits the grades to the UEB for approval, the UEB has the discretion to “chnage the grades.” For instance, if the lecturer allocates more Higher Distinctions (HDs) than allowed the HD of students who are at the bottom of the HD list are replaced with a Distinction (DI) – DI is one grade lower than HD.

It is usual practice for students to go to their lectures and ask what grades they were allocated, and then compare it with the grades on the transcript.

But that is not how the system works. If you wanted to, you’d ask the UEB why they changed the grades. However, this would only work if you got a HD, and the UEB changed it to Credit or Pass. HD to DI is a very minor shift.

The UEB is usually very reluctant to change the grade from Pass to Fail. Actually, they push most students from Fail to Pass to help students.

Change of grade forms

A change of grade form is when a student appeals his or her grade, and the lecturer reviews the student’s marks and recommends a change of grade. Many argue that this is where the “cash for grades” takes place and not the IT system.

There are existing processes to prevent this potential abuse. For instance, when the student requests remarking, another lecturer from the department re-marks the exam or test paper. This procedure needs to be strengthened. Ensuring that existing processes are effective will help bring credibility back to the university.

Adobe, online editing etc.

Anyone with internet connection or proper software such as Adobe, a laptop and the know-how, can change the grades on a transcript. In fact, those that are tech savvy offer their services for a fee. This is the real “cash for grades” industry. You can change the grades on a transcript, replace the name on the transcript, and even have a degree without going to university.

Employers: always call the university to conduct a background check on the applicants.

Inefficiency

Much of the complaints arise from frustration. The transcripts sometimes has the wrong grades (not due to corrupt practices but plain inefficiency either on the part of the lecturer, UEB, or IT). Following up on these discrepancies is usually a very slow and frustrating process. Fire, hire, fire, hire, until the people involved realise that inefficiency is not accepted.

The headache is University wide. Students who have over payments wait for years to get their re-funds, if they ever get it at all.

Selection process

This is the start of it all: Getting the selection process right.

First year students are selected through an online application process, through an algorithm. It’s technically impossible to cheat an algorithm. The concern arises when universities (not only UPNG) submit a “supplementary list” following the online selection. Supplementary list is a list submitted by each school within the universities where spaces are available after the online selection.

The supplementary list also allow selectors to ensure there’s some sort of balance across the country. This is done by allocating the spaces to students from regions/provinces where no students are selected or have a very low cohort entering the university. Between two competing students with the same grade point average, student from the low representation region/province gets the space.

Many have criticised the supplementary list as its controlled by humans, and is prone to abuse (cash for selection). But it also allows humans to consider factors an algorithm cannot. Way forward would be to have a panel decide the supplementary list instead of few individuals within the schools. A panel consisting of selectors across schools.

Corruption

In a country ranking very high on the corruption perception index, one can expect the potential for corruption to be pervasive. But for institutions like UPNG, most of the systems are already in place to prevent corruption. It requires proper enforcement.

Bending the rules: Uniquely Papua New Guinean

“Dual Winners” of the Vice Chancellors Cup

The PNG tertiary institutions participated in a game of rugby for the 2023 Intervarsity Vice Chancellor’s Cup Tournament in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province this week. Two Unitech teams made it to the grand finals – the Unitech Spartans and the Unitech Bulolo Pines.

Due to the competition running behind schedule, both teams decided not to play the finals because both are from the University of Technology in Lae, Morobe Province. The organisers instead declared both teams “dual winners” at the request of the two teams.

Imagine Sydney Roosters and Rabbitohs deciding not to play the National Rugby League grand finals because both are Sydney-based teams. Or Cowboys and Broncos agreeing to be dual champions because they are Queensland teams.

The decision of the two Unitech teams points to subtleties in PNG society: in PNG, we adapt formal rules to maintain our cultural norms. The gentlemen’s agreement between the two teams to prevent winners gets all was an expression of their cultural upbringing. Melanesians and especially Papua New Guineans strive to reach a consensus, prevent losers, and maintain harmony where possible.

Grand final is the pentacle of every game. It’s difficult to play grand finals, unless you’re Panthers, Roosters, Storms, or Brisbane Broncos of the late 90s and 2000s. Some players don’t even get the chance to play grand finals their entire careers. But in PNG, even a grand final is not worth families fighting over a trophy.

This wouldn’t make sense to most people who have no Melanesian or PNG connection. But it PNG, it makes sense. Culturally, it makes sense. We bend the rules to make it make sense to our values.

Corrupt uncles are not reported to responsible agencies because maintaining relationships are more important than creating divisions. Money is not everything. Family is. That’s always the logic.

So we keep our uncle who misuses state funds from going to jail. Relationship over rules.

We give ministerial portfolios to the unqualified. Coalition partners over merit.

We promote the unqualified in-law. Cultural marital commitments over professionalism.

We twist, and turn, and bend, and blend the rules. When it doesn’t work as a result, we blame the system for being incompatible with our way of life. We blame colonialisms. We cry out against the consultants.

PNG is not the land of the unexpected. It’s the land of ironies.

Edits and additions:

There are arguments on Facebook following this post that sharing a trophy is not unique. That’s true. But even sharing a trophy follows established rules, always after the finals is played. Or due to a brawl – which is a special circumstance.

Second, in Olympics, players can agree to share the medal instead of rematch or a finals. This is an established practice in Olympics, and it’s captured in the World Athletics Rules.

What doesn’t exit is declaring two teams dual winners without a finals. The NRL doesn’t provide for that. That’s a made up rule.

The comments prove one of the points in the original post: that PNGeans will always rationalise after the fact, when rules are bent. If you want to be dual-winners, write it into the VC Cup competition. Rules are meant to provide guidance, predictability and order. If you keep bending it, the only rule recognisable will be “bending of rules”. So that when the rules are bent the next time, everyone accepts it. It then becomes every man with his own rule.

Tribute: Impact of Lazarus Towa

This is a difficult article to write. I lost a good friend in Lazarus Towa on 13 June 2023. Lazarus Towa was know by many traits. For those who he assisted to find jobs or help develop their curriculum vitae (CVs) Lazarus was a real professional who loved his job, his country, and his people. For those who worked with him he was a gentle and a very respectful colleague. For those who knew him as a friend, he spoke from the heart and cared for you.

My first contact with Lazarus goes back to our days at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG), where I knew him more as a Catholic Christian than a friend. He was Mr Catholic. He would be seen setting up tables to organising events. For those who didn’t know him enough at that time mistook him to be too religious. He wasn’t only just doing these things as a devout Catholic. It was in his very nature to never do things casually. He was punctual and reliable. Impeccable. Even for someone who didn’t know him well back then, if someone asked me to describe his character I’d use the words “commitment and passion” in the same sentence.

We became friends after we both graduated from UPNG. He interned at the Australian Awards before graduation where he worked under one of my current PhD colleagues. After his passing, my colleague was telling me how he was the only guy in an all ladies team within the Australian Awards. Her recollection was that Lazarus was shy, but very hardworking. This internship would later shape his work.

He started work with the American Embassy in PNG. The lady who interviewed her for the job posted a tribute on Facebook after his passing about that interview. At the end of the interview she asked him “tell me something I didn’t ask about you.” Lazarus delved into his passion to help Papau New Guineans find jobs and get scholarships for further studies. He was given the job at the Embassy.

Apart from his job with the US Embassy, Lazarus had been running workshops on CV writing, how to prepare for interviews, and apply for scholarships. He had a huge following, but I was always intrigue by the amount of work he did. He had his phone number and email address on his Facebook page “Current Job Vacancies Repost with LT”, and even encouraged people to reach out to him using these mediums of communication. He would then post success stories on his page. That then brought more followers and work.

At that time of our meeting, he had more than 200, 000 followers on his Facebook page “Current Job Vacancies Report with LT” (now about 256, 000). He used to respond to 500 emails, text messages and Facebook messages per day! And these messages came from PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and many other Pacific island countries. Lazarus responded to every single one of them. He did these without compromising his job that paid him his salaries. And he helped these individuals without charging them fees.

Lazarus was awarded the Young Man of Honor by Digicel Foundation in 2018, and won the 2018 Commonwealth Youths Award from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

On 14 February 2021 I met him at Cuppa Coffee at Vision City, Port Moresby. I asked him “bro, why do you do what you do?”

He replied “we could walk out right now (from Cuppa Coffee at Vision City) and walk to the front gate. And before we reach the front gate, we will be stopped couple of times along the way, and people will thank me for helping them get a job, or scholarship or something I helped them with.”

Lazarus loved people.

My second question was “but that’s a lot of work, how to you do it?”

His response was simple (Lazarus was never a man of big and fancy expletives). He simply said “time management”. He then detailed what he meant. He made every single minute count. He broke down tough tasks into segments, and incrementally engaged with each segment. For 500 questions, he would use 3-5 minutes in every 20 to 30 minutes to respond to the the questions. He was actually so knowledgeable in how successful scholarships works and how to be successful with interviews that so he was very concise with his responses. He even developed templates which his “friends”, which is anyone who contacted him, use to answer questions asked on scholarship application forms, CVs and interviews respectively.

He would use his lunch time and hours after work to get most of of the job done. Three attributes made him so efficient: he was so knowledgeable, he strategically approached his volunteer work, and he had the passion of a deer starved of water in a desert.

The next day I wrote this blog about our conversation to at day. I told him he should write a book about what makes him so efficient and he asked me to help. Covid-19 struck PNG around May 2021 and we didn’t meet again. By 2022 I left for my PhD studies.

Two weeks ago I wanted to renew my passport, so I sent him an email. He had recently resigned from his job at the US Embassy and started a small business which included offering services to assist with passport applications. He personally got back to me with the requirements and fees. Within a week he got my passport ready for pick up. A few hours before he passed away we had a chat on WhatsApp where he advised me when his team would pick it up and have it delivered. I was on my way from Canberra to for a conference when I got the news that he passed on.

I really didn’t want to think about him in the past tense. After my conference ended, I came back to my hotel room, and asked “what am I doing with my life?”

This gentle human, in less than a century of a lifetime, impacted more lives than many get to do. I know it’s a cliche, but Lazarus lived full of purpose (in its truest sense), driven by an insane passion for others. He went out burning with passion.

As I write this article I can almost see the passion in his eyes. How it light up when he started talking about his passion to help others progress in life.

I would have loved to have a second chat with him (but not about passport). I would have asked about the meaning of life, of existence, of purpose, of charity to others. I would have asked about how to maintain consistency (not only efficiency), how to not feel discouraged, and how to wear a broad smile on my face. And more importantly, how to be selfless in a world that is obsessed with “me first”.

I’m heartbroken as I write this article. In a country not known for humility and sacrifice, the best among us was taken. But looking at the impact of my humble friend, I come to the conclusion that it’s not the length of time lived, but the impact one has on others.

There’s a scripture somewhere in the Bible that talks about the reception in heaven, when God the Father will welcome home his children with the worlds “well done my faithful servant.” If there’s one man I know that deserves these phrase, it’s you my friend.

Fly high Kumul. Wipa na kalap na hamamas na danis na go insait lo haus blo Papa. High five lo olgeta saints na angelo. You no man natin. You mekim wok na lusim hanmak lo graun. You gat namba. Yu pikinini blo Anutu strong tumas. You pikinini blo Papa.

“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” – Howard Zinn. And Lazarus my friend, you touched many.

My sincere condolences to the family of Lazarus, and everyone who played a part in shaping the life of this beautiful human. Thank you for giving us Lazarus.

You barata tumas. Pen wantaim mi tok good bye.