PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) — Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Forests and Deputy Prime Minister Michael Ogio is ignoring the instructions of the prime minister to remove David Nelson as the acting managing director of the PNG Forest Authority, PNG Forest Watch says.
On 25 April, Prime Minister Mekere Morauta wrote to Ogio informing him that the appointment of Nelson “failed to follow required legal procedures” and would be open to “likely successful legal challenge.”
Morauta in his letter instructed Ogio to “promptly resolve the issue, notably by sending instructions for the revocation of Nelson’s appointment as soon as possible.”
However, five weeks later, the Ogio has not acted on Morauta’s instructions and Nelson is still “unlawfully running the Forest Authority,” Forest Watch says.
“It seems clear that the prime minister has no control over his deputy. Ogio has acted unlawfully and contrary to government policy on numerous occasions but the PM has allowed him to continue to mismanage our forests,” the group said. “The National Forest Board has also been unable or unwilling to take any action to stop Nelson from acting as if he is the lawful managing director of the Forest Authority.”
On 15 April, the head of the National Forest Board, Wari Iamo, wrote to the minister for forests advising him that Nelson’s appointment was “void and illegal” as there was no consultation between the minister and the board as specifically required by the Forestry Act.
“The situation is farcical, the board clearly believe that the appointment of the MD was unlawful but they take no action. The board is there to ‘manage the affairs’ of the Forest Authority but it is being made to look stupid by its inability to take any decisive action,” Forest Watch said.
Ogio has been implicated in a series of unlawful actions and breaches of government policy over the past three years.
Forest Watch lists these as: “Unlawful 10-year extension of the timber permit for the huge Wawoi Guavi concession against the advice of the Forest Authority and in defiance of the National Forest Board.
“Three unlawful tax exemptions for the illegal Kiunga Aiambak logging project operated by Concord Pacific and three ministerial directives to the National Forest Board to ignore proper procedures and unlawfully award the Josephstaal logging concession in Madang Province.
