Cherubim Dambui

Cherubim Alfred Dambui, GCL, OBE (23 February 1948 – 24 June 2010) was a Papua New Guinea politician and Roman Catholic bishop. Dambui became the first Sepik to be ordained a Catholic priest in 1974 and served as the first premier of East Sepik Province beginning in 1976. Dambui also served as the auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

Dambui was born on 23 February 1948 in Timbunke, East Sepik, Territory of Papua and New Guinea. He was the oldest of his family's four sisters and six brothers born to his mother and father, Henry Nambau. Dambui attended Angoram Primary School in Angoram from 1957 to 1961. Dambui then completed 7th–10th grades at Kerevat High School, which he attended from 1961 until 1966. Dambui enrolled at St. John's minor seminary in 1966 for his 11th and 12th grade years.

In 1968, Dambui entered the Holy Spirit Seminary in Bomana, where he studied for the priesthood for six years. He was ordained a Catholic priest for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak on 5 December 1974, becoming the first Sepik to be ordained a Catholic priest.

Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia in 1975. Prime Minister Michael Somare appointed Dambui as the first interim premier of East Sepik Province in 1976, when the new provincial government was established. He served as the interim premier until 1979, when he became the permanent premier of East Sepik. Dambui remained in office as premier until 1983. Today, the head of East Sepik Province is now known as the governor due to the 1995 Provincial and Local Level Government Act.

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