Top PNG honour for veteran broadcaster

I recruited Justin Kili to his first job in the media at Radio Bougainville in 1972. After a stellar broadcasting career, Justin is now executive director of the Media Council of PNG and has received a second national award to add to his MBE.

Justin was promoted to Officer of the Order of Logohu in the PNG national honours announced on New Year’s day by Governor General, Sir Paulias Matane. The citation was “for services over 35 years to media work, promotion and publication of PNG music and providing and promoting International primary education to PNG children.”

Unfortunately, not long after the award was announced, Justin was seriously injured in a freak motor accident and has spent most of the last three months lying in bed. “The accident rendered me a cracked dislocated hip and pelvis,” he says. “But the doctors said it was nothing they couldn’t fix. So they strapped a metal contraption, steel braces, drilling four holes in my hip and hooking four metal pins to fix the problem.”

His doctors removed the braces last week, and Justin immediately went back to work. He’d missed out on the investiture ceremony at Government House for his new award, but will now receive it from Sir Paulias in June.

Footnote: Justin has just completed a draft submission to the PNG Government for funding to start a newspaper in Bougainville. His proposal has the strong backing of Bougainville’s President Kabui and the people of the autonomous province. Justin promises to keep us informed of progress.