ENGA, Papua New Guinea�s uppermost province which is tucked away in the furthest reaches of the Highlands region, was once branded
as one of the country�s wildest places.
Such daunting tags were imposed by hasty critics including the media when the province was beginning to face the challenge of
adapting to new fashion, modern politics and business after it gained provincial independence from the Western Highlands Province
in 1976.
Besides the widespread tribal fighting that may have attracted labels, the other intimidating problems which popped up swiftly to
become the major barriers to driving the new province forward included political instability, unequal distribution of resources,
lack of foresight and constructive planning, appointment of wantoks to strategic positions and misappropriation of public funds.
The jailing of former premier Danley Tindiwi with hard labour on charges of misappropriating public money in the mid-1980s shocked
the people as he was the first premier of the province. For someone in his position to be convicted for such misdeeds, the burning
down of the double-storey provincial headquarters building in 1993 and the wilful damage to businesses worth millions of kina around
the same time was a testing period for the new system in Enga. The province was in need of political leadership and direction to
steer the province into a new era of prosperity.
In other words, there were instances within that period of time when Enga was in a total state of anarchy with a complete absence of
leadership, both political and administratively.
To add fuel to the fire of anarchy, in this period in Enga�s short political history was the assassination of one of Enga�s
promising sons and an outstanding leader, Malipu Balakau in 1989. He was the regional MP at that time and Minister for
Communications in Sir Rabbie Namaliu�s government when he was shot dead by gunmen near his private house in Mt Hagen, Western
Highlands Province. That was followed by the slaying of another aspiring Engan businessman and Unitech graduate Seth Timinao by
another group of criminals from the same province.
During this dispiriting period, the lucid absence of common markets for business activities and gathering venues for people to come
together as a united province, mainly in the provincial headquarters of Wabag, was missing.
Such problems became prevalent, particularly in the light of efforts by certain great leaders that worked relentlessly to see the
province turn the corner towards prosperity.
Some of the celebrated leaders that have in one way or the other tried every means possible to get the province progressing,
particularly during the early turbulent period, include the late Don Kapi who was the first premier in 1976 under the interim
arrangement before proper provincial government elections were held in 1978.
Other prominent political figures who wanted to see the province getting off the ground include pioneering premier Mr Tindiwi, who
was the first properly elected premier with his sturdy deputy, the late Amean Yungukali, Paul Torato (first regional MP), Ronald
Rimbao (deputy premier), Mr Balakau (who succeeded Mr Torato as regional MP), Ned Laina (former premier who succeeded Mr Tindiwi)
and many others.
They were technically assisted by highly skilled provincial bureaucrats in the likes of the first provincial secretary late Karivi
Pitz. Luke Kembol, Tau Liu, Michael Puio, Kundapen Talyanga and Penjore Pilyo as either provincial secretaries or administrators
within that period.
Despite the leadership qualities they had to help in driving the province forward, both politically and administratively, the
widespread political instability, unequal distribution of resources, lack of foresight and constructive planning, gross misuse of
public resources including money, extensive tribal fighting and unlawful killings, lack of accountability and transparency continued
to become a daily occurrence.
This was the case despite some of the provinces in the country that acquired provincial status in the early stages like East New
Britain, Bougainville and Morobe doing well with the new provincial government system.
However, under prevailing circumstances, Enga had to see some light somewhere at some point in time ... and it happened. In fact,
the province�s new era was born with the elevation of a long time Wabag Local Level Government President Peter Ipatas to the
Governor�s seat in 1993 when the incumbent Governor Jeffrey Balakau was referred to the leadership tribunal and later dismissed from
parliamentary duties for misconduct in office. Mr Ipatas, who was an ordinary councillor for his Irelya ward for more than 15 years
before he became an MP, was among the most experienced persons Enga had ever had during a period when the province was going through
its most wearisome challenges. He was the man needed to address the problems because since he became a councillor after slipping out
of studies at the University of Papua New Guinea in the early 1980s, he had committed time to witnessing the underlying problems the
successive governments and leaders were going through.
Thus, Mr Ipatas who was later accorded with the title �Action Governor� by the people across the province, was something he duly
deserved, particularly for putting a benchmark for towing the province from the disheartening political and administrative doldrums,
to a new era of leadership by spearheading economic development through education of the young people of Enga.
As Governor of the province, he spent time to create feasible plans and strategies which the previous governments lacked to deal
with the problems he had identified. His first project was to unite the province by way of bringing the LLG presidents and other
district representatives together.
This was to collectively set a common goal of taking the province forward, particularly by promoting unity as a tool from the Enga
provincial headquarters of Wabag where he built the iconic Ipatas Centre.
Having established that, Mr Ipatas imposed his next major plan by investing millions of kina in free education, a policy which many
other established provincial governors were astounded by. He established more schools to this effect and funded the Enga Mioks Rugby
League team in the prestigious SP Cup which has given him popularity unparalleled in the province.
After more than 10 years of free education, Mr Ipatas shifted the policy to quality education while urging that parents still had
to take up the burden of paying their children�s fees so he took care of his government�s plan on lifting the standard of schools in
the province.
He hastily piloted his concept with the Four Square High School and the Amapyka Highlands Lutheran International School where he has
invested in electronic libraries. Consequently, this has paid off with the students in these two schools currently doing their
academic research and assignments on the internet, a great achievement for the Ipatas administration. Mr Ipatas says he is moving
promptly to introduce the concept in the other secondary schools in the province.
At the same time, he is planning to ensure that learning conditions such as science laboratories, libraries, classrooms, and
improved teaching resources including properly disciplined and trained teachers are available to give the students the best
education.
�In the beginning when I announced the shift in policy in free education to quality education, the people were so pessimistic about
what I wanted to do but now they have started to realise the positive side of what I wanted to achieve.
�My ultimate target in my policy shift is to ensure that Enga owns one or two of the country�s premier learning institutions in the
future. If that can be achieved, the ability to produce quality human resources to be competitive in the world�s labour market will
be expected to fall in line,� he said.
The phenomenal turning of the chaotic state of affairs in the provincial political leadership and administrative process was not
achieved by Mr Ipatas alone. He has secured the services of some of the highly qualified people in the public service machinery to
assist him to enforce and complete every plan and policy that he has started. Among them was the current Acting Provincial
Administrator, Dr Samson Amean, a medical doctor and a most conversant administrator in different capacities, mainly in the medical
fraternity in Enga, who was the right balance in the administrative arm.
Dr Amean�s high level of discipline background and experience, mainly in management of public resources and flair to serve the
people without taking sides, particularly with political parties, is a bonus for the province.
Since his appointment in 2003 as the Provincial Administrator, Dr Amean has helped enforce provincial and national government
policies and directives with respect for the five MPs of the province, regardless of their affiliation to different political
parties.
�He is a man who always has the province at the back of his mind. In other words, Dr Amean wants to see that the people of Enga are
served to the maximum of his ability.
�That is why he does not take sides with politicians in terms of vigorously promoting party politics. I know that he has a lot of
respect for the five MPs in the province and their affiliations with the different political parties,� said Provincial Executive
Council member Luso Lollen.
The son of Amean Yungukali of the Kala tribe that owns major portion of the land on which Wabag Town is located, is undoubtedly a
bridge between the Peoples Party in which Mr Ipatas is the head and Wabag MP Sam Abal, Lagaip-Porgera MP Philip Kikala and Kandep MP
Don Polye, who are the backbone of the ruling National Alliance Party�s existence in the province. Dr Amean is probably the only
person in this position with wisdom to bring the different leaders and parties in the province together, which he has done with
great rapport on many occasions.
Currently, Dr Amean and his senior public servants are working around the clock to ensure that the NEC meeting in Enga, which is
proposed to be held on Fenurary 25, is a success.
The soft spoken Engan man is doing this despite awaiting his reappointment after his five year term expired last year.
�He is one of the best provincial administrators in the country, a person we cannot afford to let him off from this seat. Dr Amean
is one of the main building blocks that currently holds the province together with his management skills and working relations with
all the parties involved in the administration of Enga including Governor Ipatas, other NPs, NGOs and leaders from different ends of
the province,�� Mr Lollen said.
�The people of Enga really want him to continue in the position without any disturbance. Therefore, I don�t think they will appoint
someone else to this position as we do not want the repetition of the chaotic state of affairs we had 10 years ago.�
Not only the reappointment of Dr Amean to his position and dishing out of funds are expected by hundreds of Engans from the Prime
Minister and his ministers but also the announcement of a strong political bonding between Governor Ipatas� Peoples Party and Prime
Minister Sir Michael Somare�s National Alliance Party to guide the Government for the next three years until 2012.
Philip Kepson is public relations officer with the Enga Provincial Government.
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