This is a weired question I asked, but can someone please explain and give me brief infor about this man?

When I travelled cross the Land of Chimbu, or in the air one has to say something good about this man. I wish I could see him, but Later went over to his cementary and pay a homage to this great person which people of chimbu missed him so bad.

I am very ignorant and really want to know his life story.

Please come in give some infor about this man.

thank you and God Bless.

where are you from, idiot? why do you want to know about him? is he related to you? do you want to write a book about him?

yu koapim susa blo yu, harim a? you e-mail me and i'll tell you everyting about him personally. my address is: [email protected] give me your address or i'll give my address to you.

i'll tell you good and proper about him in my room or your room.

cheers

This person had a genuine query about one of PNG's most prominent citizens. If you can't answer sensibly, then shut the hell up!

Thanks alot for Okuk's Infor. I wish if Kerepo can adjust his view of my question. I think if he can educate himself enough, he will be more sense able with his feedback.Hey thanks Anonymous and Idi for that information.

Kerepo if you are reall to your feedback here is my email address and my phon number you can call. if not you are bunch of trahes out there who are doing nothing and put all their stupid stuff on the net to infiltrate the board.
[email protected]
772 545 49 78

Call me okay.

@Kera, if you're from Simbu or even PNG then you must at least know something about this great leader.
when you see;
1. Okuk hway
2. Air Niugini etc. .. you see Iambakey Okuk.
I believe you from Simbu, as hinted in your email address. Anyways, Iambakey Okuk is simbus primary school history and you can just collect your answers from any primary school kid roaming kundiawa town.

This sort of answer is not warranted.It show's how narrow minded you are. I wonder why our beautiful countey is stained by people of your kind.
This person is asking a question as he doesn't know who Iambaky is and as we know history is taught or told.

Kerepo you are an ******* of the highest order. This board is not for a piece of **** like you.

That was a genuine question. How the hell could you reply like that. Damn!! you got some serious issues with yourself for using vulgar words at someone you don't even know.

Sorry, mate, this is the age of the internet, not the stone age.

No matter how much you may try, you can no longer control what stories come out or the flow of information otherwise.

Like many human beings, Okuk had a good and a bad side. For one thing, he was a drunk and a womaniser, just like today's pollies. Okuk probably wasn't able to steal like Namah (they have similar personalities) because back then no one dared.

The sooner we stop giving fake respect to politicians whose actions beg complaints, not praise, the sooner we will start our journey to truly becoming civilised.

Thank you.

watch your language your ancient cavemen!

this is a genuine question. Why are you irritated. May you too must be hiding something!

Bro,

You better **** up.The guy is asking a geniune question?

Well Sir Okuk was a prominent politician who (i think) was one of the leaders who first formed govt with Sir Somare....

I'd recommend you reading Sean Dorney's (2000) book on Png politics etc...He relates an amusing story about how Sir Okuk rounded up support for the first Somare govt.....Haven't got the book right now but when i do and if i find anything else of interest, i'll be back!

Cheers

Iambkey Okuk was one of the PNGs' most popular and respected politicians.Why because he does what whe thinks was right for PNG without fear or favour.He believes in what he can do for PNG and what all other Papua New Guineans can do for PNG.One of his achievements is the dash 7 aircraft which we are currenty using in PNG.His idea was for this plane to serve all the provinces in PNG as it has the capacity to do so.Iam sure other people will their own stories about this man.

If I am correct, think he was the Minister for Transport and Aviation at one stage

Yes, and introduced Air Niugini Dash7s from Canada. I remember all 4 spent the first night in Kundiawa. That was the height Simbu soared then!!!

clement

CW, I remember that fateful day, I was there in Kundiawa as a little boy and saw the planes all land in Kundiawa with Canadian flags, a few guys had a bit of spin in them as well.
We were standing outside the fence of Kundiawa airport, shouting and dancing like crazy...good old days!!

cw , bs and smokie, Sir Iambakey okuk is a great man and he directed dash 7 landed in Tari when he brought in from canada in early 80s.he even told air niugini management to recruit late edward piawe , from tari , to fly dash 7. Refeshing good old memories. It was a eye opener to all hela huli people and everybody were over the moon. Iambakey Okuk true highlander and great melanesian. laiza mamu

He was also once the minister of telephone poles - Somare had to make up ministeries to satisfy everyone.

kera, You are definatley a Simbu man and you know enough about Iambake Okuk. This man was the greatest leader in PNG during its formative years. He is a legend.Why na you act ignorant na postim olsem yu no save long em. what you know is enough. Write about him so the nation can read about, especially the young generation.Stop acting ignorant and make yourself look stupid on this public forum!

For your information. No Simbu Man will ever fill the gap left by Iambake. This is comming from a Simbu woman.

Thanks alot guys out there. who are feeding me with so much infor about this great man call Iambake Okuk. Love you guys, wantok, smokey, CW and Lucymoro.

Love all your feed back. It's like sun shinning through my window. Man! really appreciate that.

I really wish if this man can be still alive and make difference in this current situation.
Appreicate that so much and God Bless you all and have a nice day.
Don't ever forget this man.
Love you all.

The great Sir Iambakey Okuk was the true Highlands Leader. He was unselfish and his aim was see the Highlands region and the Higlanders to advance and play a significant role in PNG.
He was responsible for Highlanders playing key roles eg heads of various government departments at that time. Apart from the purchase of Dash7 he was intrumental for the sealing of the Highlands Highway. To prove my point, guess which part of the Highway was sealed first. You are right it was the Chimbu section between Chuave and Ganigle. Unfortunately the man is not around today otherwise he would fight to his last breath to fix the Highway from its current status.
Em wanpela man ino save poret long husait man. He fights for his people unselfishly.
Just add on the point raised about the Dash7, when the aircrafts arrived in PNG initially the Chimbus took a free ride to Kundiawa from Port Moresby (I was one of the first passengers).
I agreed with Lucymoro but add that no Highlands leader has or will equal the great Sir Iambakey Okuk. May he rest in peace.

Thanks emeisiko. You are boom! thanks for this infor.
Really appreciate this. I am so touched with all your points. Yes, I don't think anyone would fit into Okuk's position now, unless one can stand up in chimbu and take Okuk's position.

YES, OKUK DIE ALMOST 10-15 YEARS BUT HIS INFLUENCE IN THE COUNTRY IS STILL SPEAKING TO DAY.

OKUK WE LOVE YOU AND MISSED YOU SO MUCH.

GOD BLESS

Stap Wantaim yu Barts.

O yes...one more thing....The Highlands Highway Formerly called the "OKUK HIGHWAY"....I say formerly because, if I am correct, they chnged the name recently (can't recall when- might have been the nineties).
Mi mangi coast but mi no wanbel lo desla kain pasin. Mi larim nau lo han blo yupla ol barata lo antap skelim na traim kisim olpla name ikam bek.
Ta

Thank you Smokey for the points raised about this great man. Even though you are from the coastal region as you had indicated, you seem to know alot about this great man.
You are right he was the first transport minister at the time of PNG of Independence (1972-77).That was his first term in parliament. He was instrumental in the setting up of Air Niugini from the assetts of Ansett and TAA in PNG.
At the time he approved the purchase of the Dash7 (balus bilong ol Chimbu)he was the deputy prime minister and transport minister under the Chan government(1977-1982 parliament). In that term of parliament we had the first vote of no confidence where the great man, who was the opposition leader took Chan who was the deputy PM, from Somare and made him the PM. This is the account you will be reading about in Sean Dorneys book how the great man master the number game. There you are Kera the great Iambakey Okuk was the first man who tested out the popular no confidence vote in modern day PNG politics.
Any how Smokey, he was also agriculture minister but I cannot recall during which term of parliament. Thanks Smokey, Highlands Highway as I knew was the Okuk Highway named by Paias Wingti (when he was the PM) soon after the great mans untimely death. I had not been home for a long while but I thought it is still the Okuk Highway. Thanks for your advice. There is someting for Highlanders out there to digest especially Chimbus. Look into this Kera
Kera just to add to this great mans character,when he approved the purchase of Dash7(without the cabinet knowledge and approval) he spoke his mind on the floor of parliament. During the debate, ie after the deal was made with a Canadian company for the purchase of the aircraft, he said "I dont care what you think and said but I have made a great deal for my people". Now do see why we say "Dash7 em balus bilong Chimbus"?
Kera this great mans political career had ended in a sad way. The Chimbus had rejected him in the 1982 general election when he lost his Chimbu Regional seat to John Nilkare. But as I had pointed out earlier in my last entry he was the Highlands Leader. He could win any seat in the Highlands Region. The Eastern Highlanders had welcomed and returned him to his rightful place in the PNG National Parliament in the Ungai-Bena by election in that term (1982-1987). He returned to parliament after Somare had formed the government with Wingti as deputy PM.
His ambition was to be PM at that term but rejected by his own people who he fought so hard for. The Chimbus have regreted that decision forever.
The master was at work again on the floor of parliament. He took Wingti from Somare and made him PM before his untimately death through illness in Nov.1986.
May the great man rest in peace.

Hey buddy,
Now that you mention the fact that Iambaky was re-elected through the Ungai-Bena seat, it reminds me of the early days of politics when the person representing a area did not necessarily have to be from there. The important point was that,fulfilling the requirements for contest, the people had to only see that a person was capable of representing them.
I'd like to see that happen again and put more meaning into PNG politics. Nowadays its all about Hagener for Hagen, Tolai for Rabaul etc.

Rest in Peace Okuk.

Hi! Friends..

As the discussion is sweet.. I feel like adding mine..I was a youngster at that time he purchased the Dash 7. Before entering politics, he was a motor-machanic in Wabag around the late 60s (I think) as told by my fathers. He was a man of action and on the job..well, I admire him as one of my models when comparing him with those fearless world leaders like Sharon (Israel), Hussain (Iraq), Col. Gaddfey (Libya), Castro (Cuba) and few others today for his action (Dash 7 for PNG).

The most trilling part that makes me to consider him as the hero in PNG politics is: A MAN WHO ACT FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF HIS PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF ODDS. HE CAN'T BOW DOWN TO OTHERS AND ALLOW THEM TO DECIDE FOR HIS COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE. HE CAN'T SEARCH FOREIGN ADVICE ALL THE TIME AND LET THEM DICTATE..HE HAS NO FEAR AND HE KNOWS THAT LEARNING ONLY COMES THROUGH ERROR...a most wanted man in the history of PNG politics.. He was the best political leader PNG has ever produced..could be mostly remembered by many who grew up in the late 70s and the 80s. If I were to assess the type of politics he played..he have played politics on an international level even today no-one have even proven man enough to fit his shoes.You chimbus have loss a clansman..but we Engans have lost a haus man.

We only wish...

ENGA

Thank you Sirunki you are right he was a motor mechanic in Wabag before he entered parliament.
I agree with your comments about this great man. When he was the deputy PM under Chan, he made some public display to recognise and support the West Papuans in their fight for Independence from Indonesia. This issue is considered by many of our leaders to be very senstive.
Olsem yu tok dispela man ino save poret long husait man. PNG misses his style of politics.
May the great man rest in peace.

l

Okuk was corrupt. He made stupid decisions, introduced corruption into PNG elections by trying to bribe voters with cartons of beer in the 1978 eletions, and he tried to sack bureacrats with more years of experience running departments because they wouldn't let him make stupid decisions.

Don't make a martyr out of him because he died in office. Okuk wasn't all that he was cracked up to be. Chan was a smarter politician, and Wingti was better at highlands politics than Okuk was.

Anonymous, Okuk was a great leader for his people. He was fearless and fights for his people. Talking about corruption, which politician in PNG is clean and without corruption? Okuk had not faced the leadership tribunal or the Ombudsman commission.
I agree Chan may be smarter but we are talking about a man who played a different style of politics.
Wingti is no way near compare to Okuk as highlands leader because he is interested only in his own people, the Western Highlanders. Okuk was playing politics at the time when the Highlands region and the people were considered to be behind with development and education compared with the coastal region for obvious reason. His aim was to bring development into the region and get the people playing important role in the country alongside their coastal brothers and sisters. It is for this reason that some people in the country consider him to be unpopular.

May the great man for the people rest in peace.

Wantok!

I dont think so...Chan (1994 floating png kina) and Wingti (clayman Island deal) can yu justify more precisely the real achievements these two leaders have done for the best interest of Papua New Guinea....frankly, I don't know....I think these two leaders are moreless better educated than Okuk.......

they are well educated on how to create strategies and tactics to steal and kill people.

hi! anonymous..

No baby sense..be a grown up educated man using modern tech. like this computer to argue..and think widenly on such issues..it is a disgrace to see swearing words and I believe some of those users who come under the name of ANONYMOUS are half human beings who can't use their given brains to think and argue..if yu don't have any thinking cap.yu are a liability to the country..better to die than to live.. PNG has 25 years of independance but still producing inmatured..senseless human being who come under the shadow of ANONYMOUS.

grow up!..

hey guys, you are not back in the 60's, 70's or 80's whatsoever. you are in the so-called new millennium (21st century).

please discuss about today's political issues affecting you right now.

cheers

Until the entrance of certain characters in this discussion things were pretty decent in here. You want to discuss contemporary politics? Forget it boy; if some of you blokes cannot handle discussions about PNG's past political history well enough, you show yourselves to be incapable of handling contemporary PNG political discussions. Sopos yupla no fit lo karim mosquito maski lo traim lo apim iron.
Stap Gut

Thankyou guys for well done job.It's really superfabalous to go back again and retriveing the the life of a man that png and the people of chimbu missed him so much. I strongly belief that Okuk was the man with determination, vision, and goals for the country of png. Iam from Rabaul, since when i was small heard about this man, and the time when i grew up I really wanted to go to chimbu and see his cementry, but i don't have chance yet. I belief if this man was still alive, our country would run much better then today.

Thnk you guys I really appreciate that and, interested and earger to hear more from you all.

Thanks guys.

Hi all,

In the current difficult circumstances I reckon it is good and healthy to think and talk about some great characters or people rather than worrying about the state of the economy...but guys life goes on...

Since I was just reading through all the short contributions about Okuk.., I'd like to share my impressions of him....rather his attribute as a leader. The positive ones though...

Many of you might have different criteria in assessing how great a leader is and I do not dispute your views...However i want to add my personal view of how great Okuk is... Firstly I must add that..mi mangi kerema..but a Papua New Guinean...

It was in the 80's when he passed away and I was a little kid still in community school running around the streets of Port Moresby. Didn't give a damn about anything happening outside my school and in my little surburb lo Erima in Pom.

But I can remember one thing clearly when Okuk passed away,during that week we had a day off. In the ensuring days I was stunned to see this line of vehicles maybe from Parliament to 7 mile when his body was to be flown to chimbu..And to add to that there were scores and scores of people walking to the airport with tainted faces, and women wailing and so forth...If you are familiar with Port Moresby (in the 80's) people where taking short cut through, where the current road is now...and they went in multitudes...I have never seen such movement of people in my life time and it was a moving experience for me.

So for me it is the respect or the number of people that flock to ones funeral that says alot about who that person is....or rather how great that person was..For me seeing the reaction of people from different parts of PNG during Okuk's death...spoke a lot to about him as a leader who cared for his simple fellow Papua New Guineans. It is an experience that I have always cherised and personnally held dearly.

Recently I had a similar experience with the passing of late James Yanepa. I was in Goroka when James Yanepa passed away and we had a public holiday when his body was flown to Goroka. I was touched to see these you know 'haus lain' people from all regions of Eastern Highlands (Bena, Lufa, Okapa, kainantu, Ungai, Henganofi, Asaro, etc) there at the airport to receive the late Yanepa's body... I asked a couple of them on the street why they came and they simply said; "he was our leader, he cared for us".. I was touched although I had not come to know this great man face to face...It was a revelation for me at least about how great this man was...

What I am trying to get at is that until when you see a lot of people at someones funeral...especially if they travel far and wide to be there...is a reflection of how great that leader or person was....regardless of anything...

You see the difference I suppose is that these leaders (Okuk and Yanepa) are simple and humble people...they care about little things that is the privy of grassroots and so forth....Spoils of Achievements that they can share with their fellow countryman....that's the kind of leaders that I will hold steadfast....

Over to you PNGean's...........

You guys really talked intellectually, and I am persuaded with all were said. I think those leaders in the past, did all their best to bring this country this far. The Nation knows about this great man called Okuk. If our leaders today can be eager for their people and their provinces, and forget about themselves what so called "power greedy" Our country would not fall into the pit. Those leaders in the past had no other intention, but to live and serve their nation for the better and the good of the people. I really know if this Man Okuk was still there, some of our so called MP will not take advantages but robbing the country's money. I for sure know that Okuk was the one like a stumbling block to many politicans back then. One has to do some thing to take ride of him and satisfy his own desire. I don't know but it's just a assumption. Thank you guys! I am a typical chimbu reading all your infor about this great man call Okuk, my heart is crying, because we the chimbu missed him.
Thankyou guys........
God Bless and please if anyone want to say anything about this man.....please you are well come to say.
On behalf of chimbu would like thank you all very much.

The Late Okuk is still fresh in the minds of people today. Because of his influence in the country. I wish I could had more, anyways I'll go back to Library and get more infor for this man.

Thanks guys for ur contribution about this man.

bye

Was not impressed to overhear some people attach the label: oh, that dead meat....How ignorant.

Thanks eli for coming by atleast spent your time to say something about Okuk.
I hope if you have much you would add on but since you are ignorant and dump........it's okay

come back again and we can discuss.

Thanks guys for ur okuk's infor.

I am dumb....not 'dump', you dummy. Now you are provoking me to believe what was said.

When I was younger I twice met Iambakey Okuk. Once in the Hagen bush, and once at a public meeting in Hagen.
Both times I saw that he spent most of the time listening, listening, listening, sometimes to individuals, sometimes to groups. This was somhow opposite to his public image as a talker. Perhaps in those years Iambakey, despite his mistakes, did suceed in giving a sense of self-confidence to many highlanders. I still remember him as somebody who listened, listened, listened.

Kupanda

Thanks for the clarifications
I have always that he only represented Ungai Bena

Listen proud highlanders, correct me if I am wrong:
1. Simbu - Iambakey Palma Okuk - 1st highlands Deputy PM
2. WHP - Paias Winti - First Highlands PM
3. Enga - Don Polye and Sam Abal - Two Deputy Prime Minister
4. EHP - John Giheno - Acting Prime Minister during sandline crisis
5. SHP - Peter O'Neil - 2nd highlands PM

Conclusion - EHP DPM/PM - nil

Can the Eastern Highlanders deliver this time or be just brief case acrriers and king makers only????

From 1971 through 1975 I was gemeral manager of Mount Hagen Tea Grower Pty Limited and during 1976 undertook for the World Bank a review of commercial feasibility for the Southern Highlands with the exception of coffee which was subject to intrnational constraints. During those years I was privileged to be associated on business investigations with Julius Chan, John Guise, Thomas Kavali,Iambake Okuk, Ebia Olewale, Michael Somare. All of these men were of one persuasion, "How can we further the development of Papua New Guinea?". I am now in the 85th year of my earthly pilgrimage but is has been chastening to read how many of these men have already left this earthly life. I have drafted the records of my earthly pilgrimage into five year periods (I call them quincades) and God willing will publish the first 17 quincades after I pass 2011 November 22.