By HARLYNE JOKU
Truly-he was indeed a great man – the founding Father of the nation, the late Grand Chief Sir Michael T Somare.
And as ‘Great’ as he was, Sir Michael was a humble leader who graced us with his own Melanesian style and class.
The nation stood still when the late Grand Chief’s casket was escorted by an official motorcade from the Funeral Home to the National Parliament for the State leaders to respect and pay tribute to him and back to the funeral home at Erima on Thursday the 11th of March. Then on Friday the 12th of March, 2021 his casket was escorted from Erima to Sir Hubert Murray Stadium for his State Funeral Service.
As a journalist, and one who has the greatest respect for our late ‘Papa’ and holding him in awe, I joined with the rest of the members of public to observe and listen to tributes paid by leaders and signatories to the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare’s Parliament leaders tributes and farewell and the state funeral at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium on Thursday, the 12th of March, 2021 from my home together with my family from my television screen like most of the city residents who could not access the stadium.
I watched as the motorcade of police escort and motorcyclists led the late Grand Chief’s casket out of the Funeral Home to the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium. Thousands of people gathered along the road sides to farewell him respectfully. Many with tears in their eyes, crying as they watched as the Grand Chief moved in the motorcade. I also shed tears as I followed the live telecast thinking and believing that indeed, he was PNG’s greatest leader ever, loved by all.
Catholic Cardinal Sir John Ribat and 12 other Bishops celebrated the Eucharist after the body was handed over by the PNG Defence Force.
He said during this days of national mourning, we are all trying to answer one question; who was and is Sir Michael Thomas Somare. Each one of us has different experiences and memories of him and will, inevitably, come up with a different description of Sir Michael.
I have reflected a great deal on this great leader, great husband to Lady Veronica, great father to his children, grandchildren and for me a great friend. Today we are here to acknowledge the great contribution he made to PNG, to celebrate his earthly and eternal life and t thank God for giving PNG such an outstanding leader.; Cardinal Sir John said the first Bible Reading of the book of wisdom tells us; “The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them;
“I really believe that Sir Michael is at the right hand of the lord right now. I believe that with all my heart,” Cardinal Sir John Ribat said.
