APRIL 13 2022
Minister for Environment Conservation and Climate Change Hon. Wera Mori has been decommissioned by Prime Minister Hon. James Marape in a Cabinet reshuffle made today (April 13 2022).
PM Marape also announced the reshuffle of Minister for Justice Hon. Bryan Kramer to Immigration, Minister for Provincial Affairs Hon. Pila Niningi to Justice, and Minister for Immigration Hon. Wesley Nukundj to Provincial Affairs.
“This has nothing to do with their performances,” he said.
“They have performed very well in their respective portfolios but as a whole-of-Government, especially in this transitional period leading up to the elections, we made these changes.”
Mori’s decommissioning follows his resignation from the ruling Pangu Pati to lead another political party.
“I was tasked by the Pangu Pati Caucus, as well as the Pangu Pati Council, to give the portfolio to a member of the party,” PM Marape said.
“The Hon. Wera Mori, of his own accord, has chosen to move away from Pangu Pati.
“His portfolio will be passed on to a member of the Pangu Party, in this instance, Daulo MP Hon. Pogio Ghate.
“I will also be bringing in Pangu Pati member and Sohe MP, Hon. Henry Amuli, into Cabinet sometime next week.
“This will be following the burial of our Pangu strongman, Minister for Commerce and Industry and Goilala MP, Hon. William Samb.
“Their swearing in will be done next week following the burial of late Hon. William Samb.”
PM Marape said Cabinet would be functional during the period of the 2022 General Election, which starts on April 28, right up to when writs were returned and the new government was formed.
“There will not be any Caretaker Government,” he said.
“Cabinet will be functional all the way up until the writs are returned, and then there will be a Caretaker Cabinet.”
PM Marape thanked Mori for serving his Government as Minister for Commerce and Industry, and then Environment Conservation and Climate Change, where he was his Special Envoy to the COP26 Conference in Glasgow last year.
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