By ISAAC NICHOLAS
ORO Governor Garry Juffa has called on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and the government to fast track the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Bill to save costs of expensive Commissions of Inquiry.
“There have been so many inquiries. This is just another example of an inquiry that has cost the country substantial amount of money, in this instance K15 million.”
Governor Juffa said this during debate on a statement by PM O’Neill on the Special Agriculture Business Leases (SADLs) Commission of Inquiry interim report.
Mr Juffa, who is a trained investigator who worked for 16 years with Internal Revenue and Customs, said he had worked in a lot of investigation work.
“As an investigator I can tell you the process of investigation is not as costly as it has been in inquiries that have constantly been conducted and (their reports) tabled (in Parliament),” he said.
“I want to propose that the Bill that is put forward for the establishment of ICAC must be fast-tracked. That organisation can then coordinate such investigations, drawing from the existing resources like the Public Prosecutors Office, Police, Internal Revenue Commission, Customs and others to conduct investigations in a thorough manner,” said Mr Juffa.
Governor Juffa said this would save the people substantial amount of money and these inquiries would produce results in having people responsible brought before the courts, prosecuted and penalised accordingly.
He said from those investigations, recommendations would come out as to how to improve laws to protect the people from further exploitations.
Meanwhile, Kundiawa Gembogl MP, Tobias Kulang, stressed the need to protect the land and the environment for future generations.
“Land is our security. It is our hope for the future. When the extractive industries have exhausted the mineral, petroleum and the gas wealth on our land, what we will be left with is the land,” Mr Kulang said.
“The point is straight forward- our land is not for sale,” he said.
“Papa God lo ting ting blo em taim blo wokim graun em pinis, em nonap wokim wanpla mo graun, mi tokim yu. You can pray and fast, but Papa God nonap wokim wanpla mo graun. (God has created land and he will not create more land. You can pray and fast but God will not create any more land).
“Please do not sell your land and your children’s future,” Mr Kulang pleaded.
