Youth Minister Wemalo said he withheld K92,000 due to “court action” fears after Morobe abolished its youth council—leaving funds unable to be released during the election period.
Youth funding plans in Morobe hit a wall when the Youth Minister said legal risk made him pause a K92,000 release.
Mr Wemalo explained that he wanted to support young people in Morobe, but refused to hand the money over to the Morobe Provincial Government after the province abolished its youth council.. Speaking in Lae during the opening of the annual meeting of the National Youth Council at Saint Joseph’s Pastoral Centre, he said the refusal came down to accountability.
Why the funds were stalled
The core issue, according to Wemalo, was that youth funds were meant to move through provincial youth councils so they could be monitored and accounted for. With Morobe having removed its youth council, he said there was no “accountable” body ready to receive and oversee the money.
He framed his decision as protection against legal consequences rather than obstruction.. “I was scared of court action,” he said, adding that he had tried to discuss the matter with Premier Utula Samana.. Wemalo claimed the premier “always sees me as a snake,” which suggests the dispute wasn’t only about paperwork but also about trust and relationships inside the political system.
Another complication was timing.. Wemalo said it was “too late” to release the funds in the middle of the election, arguing the money could not be distributed during a period when political sensitivities are high.. “It will have to wait for the next minister for youth,” he said, pointing to a handover moment rather than a quick fix.
The accountability rule—and what it means for young people
Youth programmes are often planned around predictable funding cycles: applications, approvals, and activity schedules need stability.. When funds are delayed, it can ripple through school and community initiatives, delays in youth trainings, and postponed support for clubs or church-led projects that rely on timely budgets.
Wemalo’s insistence—“We cannot play politics with youth funds”—signals a bigger principle: youth spending must be insulated from election manoeuvring.. In practice, that means even if young people want immediate services, ministers may still prefer to hold money until the administrative structure is in place to receive it responsibly.
There is also a governance angle. By tying funds to an accountable council, the system aims to reduce the risk of mismanagement and to create a clear line of reporting. When that line breaks, the funds do not simply become “optional”—they become legally and procedurally difficult to move.
Election timing and strained provincial ties
Wemalo’s comments about Premier Samana add a human layer to what could otherwise be seen as a routine funding dispute. When leaders describe each other in suspicious terms, negotiations tend to harden, and solutions that require compromise become harder to reach.
The minister’s warning that the money cannot be released “in the middle of the election” also reflects how campaign periods can complicate public finance.. Even well-intended allocations can be questioned, and officials may fear accusations of favouritism or misuse.. That fear can freeze decisions, shifting the burden onto the next minister rather than resolving the problem immediately.
For young people in Morobe, the outcome is straightforward: programmes may have to wait, and community momentum can stall. The issue is not only whether money exists, but whether it can be deployed through the correct channels without exposing officials to legal challenges.
Churches and the push for youth programmes
Wemalo used the occasion to focus on progress beyond the stalled provincial funds. He paid tribute to the National Youth Council’s work and said much had been achieved for youth in PNG through the council and his department.
He also commended churches for the part they play in developing and running youth programmes, saying the last two years had seen a “tremendous leap” in church-led youth activities.. That matters because when government funding faces delays, alternative implementers—like churches—often become key partners in sustaining youth engagement.
What happens next
For the immediate future, the question is whether Morobe can restore an accountable youth council structure—or whether mechanisms will be put in place to allow monitoring and reporting to resume. Without that, youth funds may remain tied up by procedure, not by lack of need.
If the election cycle continues to limit distribution, youth programmes in Morobe may remain vulnerable to funding gaps until the next minister takes over and the administrative pathway is clarified.. The delay may protect officials from court risks, but it also places young people’s opportunities on hold—making governance reform and coordination the real test of whether this money can finally move from promise to action.