Ah Kit puts rogue staff on notice

NEW Northern Land Council interim chief executive Jak Ah Kit says the organisation has “lost its way” and has put on notice those who seek to further destabilise its executive after a bizarre fight over who was interim chief executive

Former Labor member for Arnhem Jack Ah Kit is the interim chief executive of the Northern Land Council.

NEW Northern Land Council interim chief executive Jak Ah Kit says the organisation has “lost its way” and has put on notice those who seek to further destabilise its executive.

The former Labor MLA took control of the NLC on Friday afternoon from Rick Fletcher, who himself took over in November from Joe Morrison, who resigned and then was sacked amid accusations of impropriety.

Mr Ah Kit had been locked out of the NLC Mitchel St office by staff loyal to Mr Fletcher.

Two days of confusion followed, with competing media statements and alerts from Mr Ah Kit and Mr Fletcher issued to media by the same communications officer, both on official NLC letterheads.

But on Monday, sitting in the organisation’s boardroom, Mr Ah Kit told media he would stick around for as long as he was needed and fired a warning shot at those staff who sought to play politics.

“You’re here to do a job — we’re all team members. I expect that you deliver on what you’re employed to do,” he said.

“If you step outside that, if you want to get caught up in the politics of this organisation, then you are on shaky ground.”

Mr Ah Kit’s appointment will further inflame the bitter, long-running feud in Katherine given his membership of the Jawoyn Association.

The association has a native title claim over parts of Katherine also contested by the Dagoman Association.

Mr Ah Kit will retain his association with the Jawoyn, but said he would ensure the native title process was a fair one and its outcome determined independently.

He also said he would resign from the Labor Party, of which he is a life member.

He said he would continue to resist moves for a full council meeting before the one scheduled for May. A full council meeting would cost up to $150,000 to convene and could lead to a spill in dozens of leadership positions.

Mr Ah Kit’s preference is to wait for the full council meeting already scheduled for May but he has no interest in “protecting” anyone in those leadership positions.

Although Mr Ah Kit said he was assured the NLC’s financials were “squeaky clean”, an internal audit was expected to be delivered by Friday.

He wants to sort out the Blue Mud Bay debacle, which has festered for a decade, by the October full council meeting.

“This problem should have been sorted out four years ago, It’s still here,” he said.

In a statement sent to the NT News on Monday afternoon on behalf of Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion, he said he supported “proper accountability and transparency in the governance of the NLC”.

“The Minister has acted to investigate a number of serious allegations that have been made regarding the governance of the Northern Land Council. It is not appropriate to provide further comment at this time,” a spokesman said.