The news magazine of the South Pacific · since 1930

Pacific Islands Monthly, 1 March 1985Vol. 56, No. 3

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p. 58 · Read in the full issue

Papua New Guinea’s High Commissioner to Australia, Alkan Tololo, was knighted in Queen Elizabeth’s 1985 New Year’s Honors.

He was made a Knight Com mander of the British Empire (KBE) for outstanding leader ship and meritorious service to the administration of PNG uni versities.

He was the only person to be knighted in the PNG list.

Sir Alkan has been the Chan cellor of the UPNG and Univer sity of Technology since 1975.

He has served 27 years in the public service, working up the ladder from school teacher to inspector and director of educa tion in 1974.

Five years later, he became Public Services Commission Chairman and in 1981 was appointed the PNG Consul- General in Sydney. Last year he moved to Canberra as the High Commissioner.

Originally from Raluana vil lage, East New Britain, Sir Alkan has been honored twice before, with an OBE (Officer of the British Empire) and a CBE (Commander of the British Empire).

He was awarded an honor ary doctorate in law by the UPNG and an honorary docto rate in technology by the Uni versity of Technology, Lae.

Next in line on the honors list was Colonel Lima Dotaona, at present the acting commander of the PNG Defence Force, who won a CBE for his services to the force.

Col. Dotaona, 37, is from Bonarua in Milne Bay Province and has been in the Defence Force since 1968.

Also included in the PNG list were; CBE: Mr Justice Theodore Reginald Bredmeyer, for out standing service to the law.

OBE: Joseph Faupungu Aisa, for distinguished service to the law; Warren Herbert De-Courcy Dutton, MP, for services to politics; Peter Franklyn Nicholls, for services to banking and commerce;

Ranyeta Kitilo Pokati, for community services; Vin Toßaining, for community services.

Queen Elizabeth conferred a knighthood on lan Thomson, former Independent Chairman of the Fiji Sugar Industry, in the 1985 New Year’s honors.

Sir lan was made a Knight of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the list released by Buckingham Palace in London on New Year’s Day.

Eight other Fiji citizens were honored.

Nadi businessman, Mahen dra Patel, has been made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for his service to commerce and industry.

Frederick Henry Gibson, of the Fiji Electricity Authority, Suva businessman, Ben Jannif and a high chief of Nadroga, Bulou Eta Vosailagi, have been made Officers of the Brit ish Empire (OBE).

Four Fiji citizens received the award of Member of the British Empire (MBE).

They are Sister Marie Gaetan, for community service, Jone Gusuiloa Leweni for service to farming, and Robin Mercer and Vasu Dewan Shankaran for community service.

Sir lan Thomson is chairman of the Economic Development Board, chairman of Air Pacific, of Sedgwick (Fiji) Ltd. and of the Liquor Laws Review Corn

mittee. He is a member of the Native Land Trust Board.

He served as Independent Chairman of the Sugar Industry for 14 years after retiring from the British Overseas Civil Service in 1971.

He was chairman of the Coconut Board and Advisory Council for 10 years, a member of the Prime Minister’s Relief and Rehabilitation Committee, and director of the Native Land

Development Corporation.

Born and educated in Scot land, Sir lan came to Fiji as an administrative officer in the Brit ish colonial service after World War 11.

During the war, he served in the British Army with the Royal Highland Regiment and in Fiji with the Fiji Infantry Regiment, attaining the rank of captain.

He was decorated MBE

(Military division) for his service with the Third Battalion FIR during the Solomons cam paign.

In the colonial administra tion, he worked in the secretar iat and the district administra tion, and then served a 2Vz year stint in the Colonial Office in London in the Department of Civil Aviation.

He returned to Fiji as deputy to Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, whom he succeeded in 1958 as chairman of the Native Lands and Fisheries Commission and Commissioner of Native Re serves.

Later, he served as Commis sioner Western and for a short

time as British Agent and Con sul in Tonga.

The president of Fiji Jaycees, Girdhar Lai Raniga, has been judged the best Jaycees presi dent in the world.

It is the first time in the 28 years existence of the Fiji Jaycees that one of its national presidents has won the outstan ding national president of the world award presented by Jaycees International.

Mr Raniga is a past president of Nadi Jaycees and runs a duty-free business in Nadi.

National Secretary of Fiji Jaycees Harish Sundarji said Mr Raniga won from a record 46 entries from different coun tries.

The award was presented at a gathering late last year of 5000 Jaycees from 75 countries in Montreal, Canada, for their annual world congress.

Mr Sundarji said that during Mr Raniga’s term the Fiji Jaycees membership increased, and a record number of pro jects were undertaken.

The Fiji Jaycees also won an award at the congress for the highest percentage increase in membership for a national or ganisation with under 1000 members.

Another success was the election of a past president, Gaya Prasad, as an internatio nal vice-president.

Jose C. Ayuyu, 32, of Gara pan, Saipan, was named as one of “1984’s most outstanding young men of America.”

Mr Ayuyu is assistant vice president of the Bank of Guam, and the manager of its Majuro branch.

He joined the bank in July, 1982, after serving as acting director of the department of commerce and labor during the Camacho administration in the Northern Marianas.

He has a degree in econo mics from the University of Hawaii.

The nomination was made by Saipan business and com munity organisations.

Sir Alkan Tololo

Sir lan Thomson