Ipatas Cup CEO calls for Sports vice Minister Labi Amaiu to step down

Timothy Lepa

I as the Coca Cola Ipatas Cup Chief Executive officer calling on vice minister for Sports Labi Amaiu to step down on his position as he is not making any decisions regarding rugby league and soccer in the country.

I am, a straight shooter in my dealing regarding the two national sports in the country said the member for Port Moresby South and current minister for Sports and Pacific Games Justin Tkatchenko is now making all the decision regarding the two sports. I would like the member for Port Moresby Northeast, Amaiu was mandated to carry out his task and he is not doing that.

“If Amaiu is not doing his job, he must step aside and let others who can be vocal to step in,”

Lot of things were happening at the PNGRFL after the interim board was put in place and Amaiu has not made any comments regarding the latest development of both soccer and rugby league in the country.

looking at the current situation, the PNG Rugby League interim board headed by Don Fox is still silent over the PNG Kumuls preparations for the World Cup in England this year as well as other issues he needs to publicly come out to tell the people of PNG and the followers of the game.

“Much noise was made in the lead up to the Redfern match against the South Sydney and the Cabrammatta International 9s rugby league tournament but the PNGRFL has yet to announce a date for the players and management to come into camp to prepare for the World,”

This clearly shows that the PNGRFL has been hijacked and something must be done quickly. “PNGRFL has its own constitution to run its own affairs but how it is going has degraded the reputation of its own constitution,”

“I have never seen the current Sports Minister play any sports but for Amaiu, he is however if Amaiu cannot speak up, he needs to vacate his position and give it someone else. If he thinks Justin is wrong, he needs to come out and say it clear to safe face then getting critics like this now,”.

I have make many attempts to get Labi Amiau’s views on this failed however in an earlier , Amaiu said most of the decisions were done by his minister and he had no say in them.

PNGNRFL interim chairman Don Fox when contacted by phone early this week said to meet up personally to give his side of the story however he never made it.