Source: The National | Frank Senge Kolmal | June 26, 2025

GRAND Chief Dr John Momis, a founding father of Papua New Guinea, says the political leaders of the country have let down the people and the Constitution.

Asked to reflect on PNG ‘s journey from Independence, Momis said: “To be honest with you, I am not very happy.

“I think we have really let our people down.

“When we were making the Constitution, we didn’t think about developing resources, not
even developing the country as such.

“We talked about emphatically developing man – the human being.

“The first national goal in the Constitution is integral human development,” Momis told television personality John Eggins on Tuesday.

“It is the leaders who are selling this country.

“Our resources, leaders must be very careful with them.

“Leaders are servants. We must not use our offices to enrich ourselves, to aggrandize ourselves and to get filthy rich.

“The DSIP (District Services Improvement Programme), PSIP (Provincial Services Improvement Programme) are not meant to go to the Members of Parliament.

“That kind of money should go direct to the provincial governments.

“Members are not a clerk. A member is a legislator.

“He is not there to pick up money.

“If you cannot speak on behalf of the people, you should not be in Parliament.

“The leadership code requires not only that leaders behave in an upright manner but they must also be seen to behave in an upright manner.

“If a leader is drunk every day, he is not fit to be a leader.

“He is not somebody young people will look to and want to follow him.

“When they are caught, they ask ‘where is the evidence?’.

“Criminal Code, you call for evidence. Leadership Code, you have behaved in a manner that is not fitting of a leader. It is sufficient for you to resign from the position.”

Momis said the Ombudsman Commission has not been working to keep leaders on the straight and narrow.

“One of the position I would like is to be the chief ombudsman,” he said.

“I will fix them. I will advise them not to do the things they do.”

Momis, who is regarded as the Father of the Constitution, said he is concerned that the Constitution has been weakened by too many unnecessary changes.

“The Constitution has been watered down so much by the Government,” he said.

“I think that is very irresponsible.

“The Constitution is the mama law. It is the most basic law. You can’t just change it as and when you want it.

“You want to change it to make PNG a Christian country, that is b******t.

“You do not need the Constitution (to make you Christian), you need moral conviction.”