Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has denied claims by Opposition Leader Belden Namah that he controls the National Honours and Awards Council.
He said this today in response to a statement by Namah that the Government is “attempting to rort awards for political gain” in the 2021 Queen’s New Year’s Honours.
“Namah claims former Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari and myself removed and replaced the entire National Honours and Awards Council in August last year,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“Namah even has the audacity to lie to the nation that the list was politicised with illegitimate awards for many politicians, including myself,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“This is simply not true.
“We have assembled a new panel for the National Honours and Awards Council, headed by the Chairman of the PNG Council of Churches, to select worthy people.
“Contrary to the Opposition Leader’s continual disruptive politics, which the nation is already fed up with, we are here to clean up deficiencies in our system – one of which is national awards.
“It is also a figment of Belden Namah’s imagination that I have included myself on the list.
“Those who know me well, of which he is not one, will affirm that I have always said that I will not be conferred any unearned awards.
“Let me tell Belden Namah that my name is not on the list.”
Prime Minister Marape said the Government was cleaning up the mess that Namah had created in the past when in Government, including the awards system, and illegal logging.
“It is quite ironic that in the past, major loggers and business associates whom Namah is familiar with, have been given awards,” he said
