Voluntary Land Eviction in Madang

Madang MP Hon. Bryan Kramer speaking to the people in Madang settlement. Image: Kramer Report.

Following announcement of 30 day eviction notice at Nagada Settlement located 10 km outside of Madang Town, I'm pleased to report that people have began voluntarily moving out.

Individuals residing in other settlements around Madang have also contacted my office seeking assistance to be repatriated back to their respective provinces.

I explained to them right now my office is only focused on ensuring the court ordered eviction of Nagada settlement is carried out lawfully.

People seeking assistance to be repatriated will need to be first documented by the District to avoid them using it as an opportunity for weekend trip home only to return a few days later.

Next week the Madang District Ward Project office will commence the largest ever community law and order program in the country, training some 1000+ youth throughout the District to carryout social mapping exercise of estimated 150,000+ people that reside in the Electorate.

25-30 youth will be identified in partnership with community leaders, trained and deployed in each of 49 wards throughout the District covering some 2,500 km2. They will be tasked with mapping every household from urban resident, settlement to the village hamlets in the remotest parts of my electorate.

Following the mapping exercise community forums will be conducted to develop community by-laws in partnership with Village Courts, Community Policing and Judicial Services.

The exercise will also involve collecting baseline data and intel to pin point those suspected of having committed serious criminal offences, such as killings, rapes, armed hold ups , production of home brew and sale of drugs.

Following the forums and intelligence gathering I plan to work in partnership with Madang Police and ACP Momase Command for the deployment of a Mobile Squad to Madang for a three month operation to apprehend each and everyone of them.

Operations will be carried in all settlements and villages who harbor criminals or living in fear of them.

All settlements will be re-organised under proper administration in partnership with District Ward Project Office, Provincial Administration and Community Leaders,

There will no expansion of any settlement during my term as Member for Madang. Any individuals or family who refuse adhere to community developed by-laws will be subject to eviction.

My office has 5-10 year plans to relocate all settlements outside of town to free up land for commercial and residential development. The resettlement program will involve establishing, small semi permanent houses with connection of electricity, water utilities, schools, health aid Post etc.

Picture below was taken at DCA Settlement located near the Madang airport which is a hot spot for hold ups.

On Friday I took the time to visit the settlement to explain to them my office's planned law and order program. They agreed to support it and assist with submitting names of youth to carryout social mapping of their ward which will begin next week.

source: Kramer Report on Facebook.

Madang to commence illegal land occupancy eviction exercise

Public forum - Provincial Administrator (left) Luthern General Secretary (centre). Image: Bryan Kramer, 2018. 

MADANG MP's Office has organised a public forum at Nagada Settlement, located some 10km outside of Madang Town.

The settlement is on land owned by Lurtheran Church. Over the years a local man illegally sold portions of the land to people from other provinces. 

This gave rise to an influx of people squatting on land, followed by law order problems being reported in the area.

In early 2017 the Lutheran Church took the matter to court and obtained an eviction order.

To avoid any issues arising from the eviction I decided to get involved to ensure eviction was carried out properly to avoid any human rights abuses, giving cause for further court injunctions.

In April 2018 the Madang District Project Office carried out social mapping exercise of the area to ensure eviction notice was duly served and understood by those affected.

Following the mapping exercise 693 houses were identified and documented both by GPS and photos taken on the ground.

The settlers were given more than 6 months notice that an eviction exercise would be carried out.

Public gathering to discuss process of the planned eviction. Image: Bryan Kramer.

This week we announced the eviction exercise will be carried out on 16th February 2019, giving a further one month notice.

I requested a unit of Mobile 14 from Goroka be deployed to Madang to carryout awareness of the planned eviction as well debriefing them of the outcome of social mapping and to carry out early reconnaissance and a patrol of the area.

A month from today a full unit of 40 plus members of Mobile 14 will return to Madang to work in partnership with Madang Police to carryout the eviction.

Madang District Project Office will assist those who agree on voluntary eviction to transport their properties and belongings from the land. Steps have also been taken to assist with the transfer of any children who are enrolled and reside in the settlement to other schools in their respective Provinces.

Following the eviction exercise at Nagada Madang District and Provincial Administration will carryout full social mapping of all settlements in and around Madang in an effort address urban drift, petty crimes and land grabbing.

Map of the area 693 houses 3,000 people.

Source: Kramer Report on Facebook.

PNG politician digs out a female citizen's intentions over PMIZ project debate on Facebook

Today I came across a post on my Facebook news feed of a link posted by Ms Kessy Sawang entitled "Madang Needs PMIZ To Go Ahead: BK Stop The Politics"

The link included a picture of myself taken from my Facebook page "Kramer Report" with the caption 100,000 followers.

Ms Sawang posted the following message above the link

"Hon. Bryan Kramer, we the people of Madang want development, services and opportunities for our children, not continuous and some unnecessary politics"

The link was of an article she published on her blog in response to my post 3 days earlier that Madang PMIZ Project will be a no go Project.

I posted the article in response to the Minister of Commence & Trade Wera Mori and O'Neill Government announcement of a US$156 million Chinese loan to further fund and develop the PMIZ project in Madang. A project that has gone nowhere for the past 10 years.

I made the following statements in my article:

"This project has been nothing but a white elephant for the rats in Waigani to squander millions in public funds borrowed from Chinese Exim Bank with nothing to show for it."

"Starting next week I plan to conduct community forums with landowners and surrounding communities to formalize a petition in addressing the many issues surrounding this project."

"The priority issue will be full disclosure of the project from its concept to-date. I intend to establish where and in whose pockets the K30 million expended to-date ended up."

"As far as I am concerned the only way this Project will get off the ground is through a transparent process, taking into consideration the social and environmental impact to the people in Madang and meaningful landowner participation."

Ms Sawang took issue with my position on the PMIZ claiming I have lost the plot suggesting I should work with the O'Neill Governent to get the project off the ground.

" We the people of Madang want Development, not Politics." she said.

Now her article was 1,500 words so I will respond to it in a separate post.

Ms Kessy is someone I know personally an avid blogger and social media commentator.

What I found rather interesting is that this would be first time Ms Sawang has gone to the trouble of publishing a post on her blog critical of my decision.

But not just me the entire Opposition bid to vote out O'Neill as Prime Minister.

So you can understand I was more curious about the recent change of heart. Don't get me wrong I welcome criticism and support the view "wise people prefer to benefit from constructive criticism rather than be ruined by false praise"

However Ms Sawang post was neither constructive nor genuine.

So in an effort to better understand her motives behind it I noted the following;

1) Rather than post her article on her Facebook page she instead only posted the link to her blog.

This meant anyone who wanted to read her article would have to click on the link that would take them to her blog.

2) She used a picture of myself from Kramer Report with the caption 100,000 followers and made the point to tag me. This meant the thousands of people that follow me would also see her post.

3) When people commented criticizing her, she responded:

"Bryan Kramer will respond to the issues. Thank you. In the meantime, spare time to read my full article"

In other words please click on the link so that it will take you to my blog and add to the number of registered visitors to the site.

4) 12 hours earlier she uploaded a copy of cheque she received from Google for $101.88 for advertising their adds on her blog.

She wrote:

"Another cheque of $101.88 from Google for Dec 2018. Thank you all for visiting my blog. Saik up lo write more. #LilAchievements❤️"

5) After posting the link and noting many people criticising her over it she posted:

"Smiling at Facebook Gangs - yep the exact reaction I wanted."

At this point it became evident Ms Sawang post was deliberate with the intent to drive people to visit her page using my public profile.

I posted the following comment on her post.

"An interesting point is that Ms Sawang avoided posting her article in Facebook, but instead posted the link to her Blog using my face and Kramer Report picture..."

"I'm now left to ask the question whether the timing and intent behind this publication was deliberate in an scheme to draw traffic to her blog hoping to cash in from it?"

"Coincidence or Opportunistic??? An issue I will cover in my response."

She responded by liking it.

What Ms Kessy Sawang failed to disclose behind her change of heart is that she has applied for the position as Secretariat of Manam Resettlement Authorty following her sacking as Secretary of Minister of Inter-Government Relations.

Her sacking relates to falling out of favour with Peter O'Neill over publicly criticising him.

However in recent weeks she been publishing articles opposing the Opposition's plans to vote out O'Neill and now even opposing O'Neill's number one political enemy, myself. One can only assume it is in the guise to win back O'Neill's favour and a new job.

It takes a real special kind of person to be that conniving and opportunistic.

It comes as no surprise on the eve of 2017 General Election I was asked by a mutual friend to meet with Ms Sawang in Madang. He spoke very highly of her, mentioned she was contesting for Rai Coast Open Seat and I should consider endorsing her under Pangu Party.

I agreed to meet with her, however it became evident she was only interested in the party offering the highest campaign funds. At that that point I had little interest in supporting any candidate whose focus was their own financial gain.

Ms Sawang describes herself on her Linked In profile as advocator of good governance, women & girls empowerment and an aspiring political leader.

However her conduct to date suggests otherwise.

While I'm a strong advocator of women in politics and plan to do my part to help at least 5 women get elected in 2022 General Elections, Ms Sawang will certainly not be one of them.

It is my view she doesn't meet the fit and proper test to occupy public office and would do more damage than good in the cause of advocating for women in leadership roles.

Source: Facebook Kramer Report. - Madang MP Hon. Bryan Kramer writes the Kramer Report on Facebook in Papua New Guinea.

Pacific Maritime Industrial Zone (PMIZ) in Madang will be 'no go project' - Kramer

IN November 2018, the Minister Commence & Trade Wera Mori announced O'Neill Government has approved a US$156 million loan to build two wharves at the Pacific Maritime Industrial Zone in Madang and awarding of individual titles to Chinese companies. 

The announcement comes as no surprise. I suspect the Government being broke is looking for any means to resurrect abandoned projects in an excuse to justify more borrowings in the guise to access funds.

As Member of Madang Open, I wish to put the good Minister and his Prime Minister Peter O'Neill on notice that this project won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

The project is not only located in my electorate but an area I was raised and my grand parents buried (Sek Mission Station).

This project has been nothing but a white elephant for the rats in Waigani to squander millions in public funds borrowed from Chinese Exim Bank with nothing to show for it.

Starting next week I plan to conduct community forums with landowners and surrounding communities to formalize a petition in addressing the many issues surrounding this project.

The priority issue will be full disclosure of the project from its concept to-date. I intend to establish where and in whose pockets the K30 million expended to-date ended up.

A further issue of concern will be just how many millions was borrowed from China Exim Bank.

I have absolutely no trust in the Minister following his inaction to my request for his office to investigate Governor of NCD Powes Parkop using K100,000 of rate payers funds to help his Malaysian Indian girlfriend register her fitness company.

A company that was illegally operating without an IPA Certificate and later awarded K3 million; K250,000 month contract by the Governor. Minister instead issued a press statement claiming his office found nothing wrong.

I wish to put the Minister on notice that any contract that is awarded will be investigated by my Office and made public. Should I find one single case involving a conflict of interest to him, his family or his associates or failure to comply with Finance Management Act then he can be certain to be served and summoned to appear in Court.

As far as I am concerned the only way this Project will get off the ground is through a transparent process, taking into consideration the social and environmental impact to the people in Madang and meaningful landowner participation.

Anything less and the Prime Minister and his Minister, including Chinese Contractors can expect the project to sit on the shelf for sometime.

In the coming weeks I intend to start writing about this project so the public can be clear why in my view it has been used as a scheme to misuse and misappropriate millions in public funds to enrich fat cats in Wagaini.

Picture credit to TWAN Minister of Trade & Commerce announcing O'Neil Govenment borrowed $156 million to kick start the PMIZ Project.

Source: Facebook Kramer Report - Madang MP Hon. Bryan Kramer writes the Kramer Report on Facebook in Papua New Guinea.