Bernard Narokobi

Bernard Narokobi is a Papua New Guinean politician and philosopher. He is currently serving as the Papua New Guinean High Commissioner to New Zealand. Between 1987 and 1997 he represented his Wewak Open Electorate as a Member in the Papua New Guinea's National Parliament. During his time as a Member of Parliament (MP), he served as the Minister for Justice (1988-1992) in the government led by the then Prime Minister Rabbie Namaliu; Agriculture Minister (1992-1994) under the leadership of Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan led government; and Opposition Leader between 1998 and 2002 until he lost his seat to the current Wewak MP Kimson Kare during the elections in 2002. He was displaced as a minister in the Chan government for failing to vote in favour of constitutional reforms in the provincial system of government.

Background and family life

Bernard Narokobi was born in 1937 in his native Wautogik village to his father Anton (Kukum) Narokobi and mother Maria Mokoi and is the second eldest of five siblings. His siblings are Veronica, Apolonia, Caroline and Camillus. Camillus his younger and only brother is intending to stand for the Wewak Open seat. Camillus is also a lawyer in his own right at the family law firm, Narokobi Lawyers.

Bernard is now a widower having lost his wife Regina to breast cancer in 2007. He has 7 children; Vergil, Daniel, Anna, Justina, Ottonia, Benedine and Regina (twins). Bernard's son Vergil is also a lawyer and after completing a bachelors degree in law with honours at the University of Papua New Guinea, he went on to do his Masters in law at Cambridge University. His daughter Anna has also recently completed her degree in law in Australia.

His father Anton was taught by pioneer Catholic missionaries and became one of the early cathecists who served the people of Boiken and Dagua villages through teaching the Catholic faith. Bernard Narokobi started primary education at the Dagua Catholic Mission and then went to Brandi High School in Wewak, East Sepik Province where he was taught by Michael Somare who latter became the first Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. From Brandi High School he went on to matriculate at the then Kerevat Senior High School in East New Britain Province before going off to Australia where he undertook a degree in law at the University of Sydney in the 1960s. Bernard was amongst the first few Papua New Guineans to receive education abroad. In those days, preparations were underway for Papua New Guinea to gain political independence from Australia. Soon after completing his law degree, Bernard Narokobi was recruited to become the Permanent Consultant to the Constitutional Planning Committee that was chaired by his former teacher Michael Somare. Bernard Narokobi thus had a personal hand in the writing of what became the Constitution when Papua New Guinea gained independence in 1975.

Political career

After PNG gained independence, Bernard Narokobi held several jobs including serving as the legal advisor to the provincial government in his home province, East Sepik, he also worked as a private lawyer, a lecturer in law at the University of Papua New Guinea and had a stint as an acting judge in the Papua New Guinea National and Supreme Courts. He has published a number of papers and articles which are scattered in various journals and several books including "The Melanesian Way"; "Life and Leadership in Melanesia " and "Lo Bilong Yumi Yet" and a short book of fiction entitled "Two Seasons".

Bernard Narokobi aligned with a team of like minded Papua New Guineans to start their Melanesian Alliance Party. The original founders of this Party include John Momis, John Kaputin and Moi Avei. John Momis was the Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Planning Committee which recruited Bernard Narokobi as their Permanent Consultant. Bernard Narokobi became actively involved in politics when he decided to contest the national elections in 1982 where he ran an unusuccessful campaign against his former teacher Michael Somare for the East Sepik Regional Seat. Learning from his failed election in 1982, Bernard Narokobi entered Parliament in 1987 after toppling Tony Bais in the Wewak Open Electorate. He enjoyed three terms as the Member for Wewak and was defeated in the 2002 elections. As a lawyer and thinker, Bernard Narokobi is a firm believer in human rights, he is a staunch advocate of Melanesian philosophy and identity, and he supported strongly the call for a free and independent West Papua. He is also a devout and a highly respected member of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea. [citation|title=Narratives Of Nation In The South Pacific |author= Ton Otto, Nicholas Thomas|year=1997|publisher=Routledge|id=ISBN 9057020858|url= http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9057020858&id=_wgKDyylumsC&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36&ots=21ZFCkgH7g&dq=%22Bernard+Narokobi%22&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=IeKb1B1SQ5SnhgpN8mJzqNJKfLw]

References

2. [http://www.alastairmcintosh.com/general/resources/1983-Bernard-Narokobi-Melanesian-Way.pdf Extract from Bernard Narokobi's "The Melanesian Way"]

3. [http://www.alastairmcintosh.com/general/resources/1988-Utula-Samana-PNG-Which-Way.pdf Extract from Utula Samana's "Papua New Guinea: Which Way?" re. Narokobi's influence]