Ben Micah, political extraordinaire, leader with a creative mind, and astute self-confidence, passed on yesterday. Invariably, he was the sort of New Irelander, who had a heart for making things happen out of nothing. There are many words to describe his aplomb; political architect, boxing promoter, kingmaker, even castaway.
But the one that catches our eye and matches our pages is when another legend, Sir Mekere passed on two years ago. It was the moment Ben Micah reached the pinnacle of his political limelight, not as an MP but as an architect of an unlikely victory in battle. Sir Mekere was in camp as a political standoff against his wantok Bill Skate began to deteriorate as numbers swayed in the usual horse trading fashion in Waigani. When the hope of one leader rests on your shoulders, your reputation will depend on how best you answer that call and history records that Ben Micah pulled off a once in a lifetime stunning reversal of the plummeting fortunes of Sir Mek.
But politics was in his blood and he stayed within the circles where his political understanding and persuasive oratory skills came to the forefront in many tough and tight negotiations.
I told him to go back to sleep and just follow events as they unfolded in Parliament. Ben Micah, perhaps buoyed by his Touaguba Hill exploits in anchoring Sir Mekere to the top post, took his lessons in life from Waigani sincerely to heart and went back and unseated Martin Aini in He held various ministries and is remembered for his time as Minister of State Enterprises. Controversy was not far behind everywhere Micah went.
In the end, it cost him his Kavieng seat. This was the year in which he was setting up his gloves for a final fling at unseating Ian Ling-Stuckey in Kavieng. Ben Micah breathed his last yesterday. His people of New Ireland will mourn him for what he was, the outsider and the underdog, who reshaped the way and will of political craft in Waigani. The memory of him as king-maker, the boxer who got up from two knock downs and shook Waigani, will not be easily forgotten.
