Mourners flock to farewell Basil
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
Mourners flock to
farewell Basil
PORT MORESBY: Men and women, young and old, started
making their way to Port Moresby’s Sir Guise Stadium in the morning, as early
as they could, yesterday (May 17, 2022).
The casket of Deputy
Prime Minister Sam Basil was only expected to arrive at 2pm.
All seats were occupied.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below a few news updates on the farewell as published by The National:
Farewell Ari
May 18, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
Prime Minister James
Marape paying his respects to Late Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil in Port
Moresby yesterday. Marape during his tribute at the funeral wept as he read out
the last exchange of text messages between himself and his deputy. “Basil’s
unrelenting character to never give up, pushed him to be self-sufficient,
creative and a self-starter,” Marape said. Basil’s casket will depart Port Moresby
for Lae today.
– Nationalpic by NICKY BERNARD
Basil raised by a
strong woman: MP
May 18, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
Iguan said he was his mother’s son, a strong and resilient person.
He said she worked as a tea girl for the Lae Builders Construction company even
when her son became a politician.
“Sam would argue with his mum, tell her to quit her job and let him take care
of her,” Iguan said.
“But she used to refuse, that’s how strong and resilient she was, and that’s
where Sam got his strength and resilience from – his Buang mother.
“They both, mother and son, believed in being independent.
“They believed in working and earning things.
“Today, his mother Cathy, has been sitting there refusing to cry, though you
can see the pain in her eyes.
“She raised Sam working as a tea girl for the Lae Builders Construction.
“And his father Basil was a highway truck driver who drove up and down the
Highlands Highway.
“When I approached her, she said ‘son, I won’t cry for your brother, I cried
when I gave birth to him. I took care of him until he became a man. So now I won’t
cry’.”
But despite the brave words, you can see the pain in her eyes, as she sits
surrounded by her two daughters, grandchildren and great grand-children.
Cathy, after a long pause, said that she continued working even when her son
became a politician because she didn’t want to sit around doing nothing.
“I work to keep fit. But Sam always urged me to stop working so he could take
care of me,” she said.
“He built my house in Zenag and I left work to live there.
“I gave birth to him in Lae in 1969,” Cathy said.
“I enrolled him at Taraka where he completed his education in Lae.
“He is my strength, I gave birth to him and his two sisters.
“I am crying inside; my son has left me.
“Who will buy my electricity, who will buy my gas. I am heartbroken.”
Cathy said that she saw her son on Monday and Tuesday not knowing that he would
leave her on Wednesday.
“On Monday, we were together.
“I was with him as he did his electoral duties and we came back to the house at
Zenag.
“He cooked for us, he always loves cooking.
“On Tuesday, we were together too but on Wednesday he flew out on a chopper.
“Sam was coming back to me when he had the accident and left us.”
Deputy PM did things his own way, says Marape
PRIME Minister James
Marape has described his deputy, the late Sam Basil, as a man who did things in
his own way.
In addressing the country during the deputy prime minister’s state funeral,
Marape said: “The late deputy prime minister had a grit and drive and an urge
to do things his own way when the system couldn’t meet expectations.”
Marape said in the 15 years of services to Papua New Guinea and as Bulolo MP,
Basil rose from Opposition ranks to be the deputy opposition leader and then
rose in the Government ranks to be the deputy prime minister.
“Basil was an exceptional MP serving his home electorate with distinction for
three unbroken terms.
“Like many of us who have been mandated from the simple rural areas of our
country, our hearts always remain with our rural people.”
He said Basil’s upbringing – growing up in rural Morobe – influenced his
leadership banding, a group of young leaders keen on fixing the country and
returning services to rural people.
Recalling his last trip with his deputy, Marape said: “I remember a night after
meeting with Wafi-Golpu landowners, we again forgot protocol and he drove me at
night back to Lae from Mumeng.”
He said the urge to sometimes not follow protocol stemmed from the urgency to
serve.
“For we are simple men here in our time slot to serve our people, most of whom
are simple rural Papua New Guineans.
“Basil’s unrelenting character to never give up, pushed him to be
self-sufficient, creative and a self-starter” Marape added.
Marape also expressed sympathies to his family, the United Labour Party, his
electorate and the people of Morobe.
Basil’s body will be flown to Morobe today where a provincial funeral service
will be held before he is laid to final rest in his Buang village.
House maids weep for boss, son Basil
By Helen Tarawa and Melyne Baroi
DELMA Gedisa and
Catherine Rambing wept as they witnessed MPs pay respects to their boss, the
late Sam Basil Bulolo MP and Deputy Prime Minister, at the Lie-in-State
ceremony yesterday.
Gedisa and Rambing told The National that they had been working as haus meris
(house maids) for Basil for more than 10 years.
“We are lost for words because he was like a son to us.
“Now that he is gone, we are unsure of our jobs,” Gedisa said.
Rambing from Zenag, Morobe, said her husband was the first to work for Basil
and she joined him.
“I did not know how to work as a house maid but my boss’s wife Shalatee asked
me to assist.
“Because my husband worked for them, they asked me to also join him and we both
became like their parents.
“We looked after them well and now that our boss is gone we don’t know what
will happen to us,” Rambing said.
Gedisa, from Boana village, Morobe, said she was approached by her niece who
had worked for Basil to be a house maid.
“My niece told me that Basil needed house maids and to go and see him and
that’s how I was employed.
“I joined well before baby Ayaan Basil was born and I stayed on till his birth
on Aug 5, last year. I was worried when I received the news of my boss’s death
because he helped me and my family a lot but this will be no more,” Gedisa
said.
Gedisa and Rambing were moved because they had never been to Port Moresby but
through Basil’s death they accompanied Shalatee and Ayaan to the Capital.
They attended the Lie-in-State ceremony and witnessed MPs turning up yesterday
to pay their respects.
Among them were Speaker Job Pomat, Prime Minister James Marape, his wife
Rachael, Opposition Leader Belden Namah and senior cabinet ministers and MPs.
Cries broke out at the Parliament entrance as the PNG Defence Force welcomed
the casket with traditional bagpipe music.
Pomat formally received the casket.
It was rested for an hour in the place where he became minister 15 years ago.
His mourning family watched on as their father, husband and son was farewelled
by his colleagues.
With a silent prayer, a bow and salute each of the ministers gestured Basil
goodbye.
It was a time of sorrow and farewell but the beauty of friendship and legacy
shone through many teardrops and utters of remorse.
A brave leader gone too soon but will undoubtedly be remembered for his heart
for his people.
Son delivers touching
tribute
May 18, 2022The NationalMain Stories
MONA Basil, son of the
late Deputy Prime Minister and Bulolo MP Sam Basil, says his father was a
devoted family man who wanted the best for his wife and children.
“Deputy Prime Minister, United Labour Party leader, Bulolo MP, dad, you will
forever be in our hearts, maya sanga (it’s finished now),” were uttered by the
younger Basil at his father’s State funeral at the Sir John Guise Stadium in
Port Moresby yesterday.
Mona said regardless of the high office and important roles his father held, he
was a committed parent who was interested in his children’s lives.
“He wanted us to take full control of our lives and be independent,” he said.
“This was because dad’s philosophy was all about independence and freedom.”
Mona said his father was born at the Angau General Hospital in Morobe on Nov
16, 1969.
“His mum, Cathy, was from Buang, Morobe, and his dad, Basil, was from Sokepa,
Northern.”
Mona said his father was raised in Morobe.
“He later met his wife during the 1995 Pacific Games in Tahiti where he
represented the country as a black belt in taekwondo and started working for
Steamships Carpenter’s Hardware,” he said.
“He later met Masket Iangalio, a bureaucrat and Enga politician, who was his
mentor and encouraged him and motivated him to become a businessman.”
Mona recalled how he accompanied his father campaigning in Bulolo during the
2017 general election.
“There was a heavy rain and strong winds were blowing and dad said we would
sleep over at Buang, so we took the back road only to find that the road was
blocked by a landslide,” he said.
“Any other man would have just turned back to Lae, but dad said we would walk,
and the nearest village was four hours away.
“He grabbed his bag and I grabbed my bag and we started walking, my father had
a lot of perseverance and strength to reach his goal.”
Mona said this memory always reminded him that no matter how high the hill was
or how long the road was you must work hard to achieve your goals.
“There is a saying, ‘it is not death that a man must fear but he should fear
never living’, and my father never feared to live, he lived a life that was
full and packed with achievements,” he said.
“These achievements were not for himself but for his people and his country.
“My siblings and I are fortunate to call him father, maya sang.”
Basil, 52, died in a vehicle accident last Wednesday with his close protection
officer Neil Maino along the Bulolo Highway in Morobe.
Basil is survived by his mum, two sisters, wife and children.
Bulolo people will support a son to contest:
Iguan
Women crying as the
Late Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil’s casket is brought out of the Sir John
Guise Stadium in Port Moresby yesterday. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI
By HELEN TARAWA
Iguan said the people
of Bulolo loved their MP because of the services he had delivered and wanted
the leadership continued.
“There is no question of evidence of what he did, he did much and the people of
Wau-Bulolo have respected him and wanted to see him continue in his
leadership,” he said.
“They want to see his leadership reach the next level and that is what the
people of Bulolo are standing up with him for.
“For him to die on the eve of the election while he was campaigning in his
electorate – he met his fate – and in respect they will not let the seat go.
“They respect him and the trust that the people of Wau-Bulolo have they will
not let it go, they want to thank him for his service.
“In acknowledging him for the service he had delivered, they have agreed to
endorse one of his sons to contest the seat that he had occupied.”
Iguan said the United Labour Party, which Basil had established, officially
announced that one of his sons would occupy the seat that he had vacated.
Without giving details of the name of the son, Iguan said the party will
announce the name when he is laid to rest.
“In respect to the leader, we will not mention any names at this stage,” he
said.
“The supporters and people of PNG must know that the family, the community have
already agreed and it is the wish of the people of Wau-Bulolo that the son of
late Basil takes his place.
“The formal announcement will be made in the next few days.”
Iguan, who was among many MPs who turned up to pay their respects at the
Lie-in-State ceremony yesterday, said it was a great loss.
Sir Bob: Basil a shining example
PAPUA New Guinea needs the kind of leadership
portrayed by Bulolo MP and Deputy Prime Minister the late Sam Basil during his
term in Parliament, Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae says.
Sir Bob, speaking at Basil’s State funeral at the Sir John Guise Stadium
yesterday, said 52-year-old had not been one to shy away or back down when
challenged.
“He was not afraid to speak his mind on issues he felt strongly about,” he
said.
“By his leadership, Basil has shown that through courage and determination,
passion and a sincere heart for the people, one man is capable of achieving
great outcomes and causing positive change.
“Basil was a hands-on leader directly involved with his people something the
people of Wau-Bulolo appreciated about him.
“He not only talked the talk, he walked the talk for his people.
“On this solemn occasion, we come together as a nation to farewell one of our
finest and outstanding leaders whose tragic death in a vehicle accident has left
the nation in total shock, disbelief and agony.”
Sir Bob said leader of the United Labour Party was one of a kind.
He was a vibrant and visionary leader passionate about his people.
Mourners flock to
farewell Basil
May 18, 2022The NationalMain Stories
The Late Deputy Prime
Minster Sam Basil’s mother Cathy (standing) with Basil’s daughter at the
funeral service at the Sir John Guise indoor complex in Port Moresby yesterday.
MEN and women, young
and old started moving to the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby yesterday
as early as they could.
The casket of the Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil was expected to arrive at
2pm.
All seats were occupied.
Some stood near the door while others made use of the black carpet rolled out
on the floor.
They wanted to get a glimpse of the casket and pay their respects before the
casket bearing the body of the Bulolo MP leaves Port Moresby today for his
final journey home (Morobe).
The family of the late
Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil at the top of the steps leading to Parliament
House watching as the casket leaves Parliament. – Nationalpics by NICKY BERNARD
The casket eventually
arrived for the funeral service.
It was received by the head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Bishop Jack
Urame, designated family representatives and Members of Parliament amongst
other invited guests.
The service began with a prayer, hymns sung and a sermon followed by a eulogy
and tributes.
Prime Minister James Marape wept as he read out the last exchange of text
messages between himself and his deputy.
Governor-General Grand
Chief Sir Bob Dadae and wife Lady Emeline paying their respects during the
funeral in Port Moresby yesterday.
Opposition Leader
Belden Namah described the late Basil as a forthright man who spoke
his mind and acted on his convictions.
“He (Basil) was someone who put his electorate before anything else,” Namah
said.
“He had served in many ministerial portfolios and twice as the Deputy Prime
Minister.”
Autonomous Bougainville Government vice-president Patrick Nisira said: “As we
mourn the loss of this great man let us also celebrate his commitment to Papua
New Guinea through duty, loyalty and honour.”
Papua New Guinea
Education Institute students Dulcie Suenu (left) with Marshellah Mugau holding
a photo of Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil at the funeral in Port Moresby
yesterday. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI
Speaking on behalf of President Ishmael Toroama
during the funeral service in Port Moresby yesterday, Nisira said: “The
emotional response by the people of
the Morobe and the rest of the country is a testament to late Sam Basil as a
man, a leader and a visionary.
“He will be fondly remembered on Bougainville for his collaboration with our
three national MPs in North, Central and South Bougainville on important
infrastructure development programmes on Bougainville.
Tributes for Basil
keep pouring in
May 18, 2022The
NationalNational
Deputy Prime Minister
Sam Basil’s casket leaving Parliament yesterday. – Nationalpics by NICKY
BERNARD
TRIBUTES continued to
pour in for Bulolo MP and Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil as a State funeral
was held at the Sir John Guise indoor complex in Port Moresby yesterday.
The casket of the late Basil was also taken to the Grand Hall at Parliament
House where Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister James Marape and
Opposition Leader Belden Namah, paid their respects.
Basil’s casket at the
Jackson Airport in Port Moresby on Sunday.
Former Eastern
Highlands governor Julie Soso described Basil as a visionary leader who had
served the people of Bulolo well.
“I once visited Bulolo in my capacity as governor and Basil treated me well
with respect as a leader, mother and sister,” she said.
“For a short time, I knew him he was a promising politician and future prime
minister material.
University of
Technology students during a walk of sorrow tribute to the Deputy Prime
Minister Sam Basil at Taraka campus in Lae, Morobe, on Saturday. – Nationalpic
by EHEYUC SESERU
“On behalf of all the
mothers and sisters in Eastern Highlands, we are deeply in sorrow.”
The United States Embassy in Port Moresby said in a statement that Basil shared
a strong and productive relationship with them.
People waiting outside
the Jackson Airport on Sunday for the arrival of Basil’s casket.
“He was a vaccine
champion who enthusiastically embraced the vaccines as a preventive measure in
the fight against the Coronavirus,” the embassy said.
“He was an avid supporter of the embassy during our recent period of rapid
growth and expansion when we invited new agencies and departments on board. We
are grateful for his support as we worked together to strengthen our
relationship.
“He will be missed.”
Northern Governor Gary Juffa, in a statement on his Facebook page, recalled his
encounter with Basil on the last day of Parliament.
Head of the Lutheran
Church Bishop Rev Jack Urame blessing the casket of the Deputy Prime Minister
Sam Basil as it lies in State at the Grand Hall in Parliament yesterday.
Juffa said he met Basil near the lift in
Parliament where Basil told him: “Let’s walk. It’s just a few stairs. We need
to keep fit.”
Basil’s casket is expected to depart Port Moresby for Lae today.
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