FRANCIS S NII
KERENGA Kua, former Attorney-General and a man considered one of a Papua New Guinea's leading politicians, was holding his breath and looking extremely impressed.
Soon after, while the presentation of certificates was proceeding, Mr Kua left his seat and came to where Jimmy Drekore, Ware Mukale and I were sitting.
“You guys are doing something great that I didn’t know about,” he said, referring to the Crocodile Prize and the activities of the Simbu Writers Association.
And Mr Kua (pictured here with Jimmy Drekore) put his enthusiasm to work by committing K20,000 to SWA from the 2015 District Services Improvement Fund.
The Crocodile Prize Anthology 2014 was one of the books amongst the literary wealth of the Simbu Writers Association that was on display at the recent Ku High School Grade 10 graduation in Simbu.
Kerenga Kua and one of Air Niugini’s top airline pilots, Captain Bona Nonggorr of the Western Highlands, were honoured guests.
The graduation ceremony began with an escort march by the Seventh Day Adventist mothers marching group before the many guests were ushered to the grandstand.
The guests included Mr Kua (MP for Sinasina-Yongomugl), the three Sinasina-Yongomugl council presidents, District Manager and former PNG Kumuls captain Bal Numbapo, Ku High School governing board chairman Sam Goiye, and Simbu Writers Association president and Crocodile Prize Organisation chairperson Jimmy Drekore.
The speakers were Sam Goiye, male and female SRC representatives, school principal Ware Mukale, senior subject master Joe Gala, Mr Kua, Captain Nonggorr and me.
Mr Kua announced a pilot cadet training sponsorship for students from his electorate.
Every year starting in 2015, two top Grade 12 students from Sinasina-Yongomugl will be sponsored to train as pilots in Air Niugini’s pilot cadet training program.
Captain Nonggorr (left), who is the brother of PNG’s top constitutional lawyer Professor John Nonggorr, offered words of advice and motivation to the students and inspired them to aim for the best.
He said he came from a typical Papua New Guinean village family like many of the graduating students. But self-discipline and a vision to excel brought him to where he is now.
“The only thing I cannot fly is rocket,” Captain Nonggorr, who currently flies Air Niugini’s Boeing 767, said.
“Any other type of aero plane in the world is peanuts. And any of you here can do that if you aim for it.”
Captain Nonggorr said he is selective about the kind of people he associates with. He’s not an alcohol or tobacco user and doesn’t associate with people who indulge in them.
The highlights of the ceremony were the launching of the Ku High School Anthology 2014 and the presentation of certificates and awards.
I gave a short talk on how the anthology came about, starting off with a quick rundown on the history of the Crocodile Prize which led to the formation of the Simbu Writers Association and its link to Ku and other high and secondary schools.
I also talked about the hosting of the 2015 Crocodile Prize award ceremony in Kundiawa next year.
I gave credit to Jimmy Awagl, Ware Mukale and others including Essy Walkaima, the Principal Advisor for Education, who contributed to the production of the Anthology.
Jimmy Drekore then invited Kerenga Kua to officially cut the ribbon to the Ku Anthology. Jimmy also presented four books to Kerenga on behalf of SWA – the Crocodile Prize Anthology 2014, my novel Fitman, Raitman and Cooks: Paradise in Peril, Jimmy’s own The Bush Poet’s Blossom and the Ku High School Anthology 2014.