MADANG RIGGED BY LAWLESSNESS AND POTHOLES



I am writing this as a frequent visitor to Madang, whom on countless occasions has been reporting on issues that are of concern to the people of Madang and Papua New Guinea.

In 2014, I took a walk with a camera in my hand from Beckslea Plaza towards Madang Town Market and across to Madang Resort. Every elderly person and women that I saw were vigilant, with their bilums tucked under their arms walking around.

This was exactly what Lae city was like back in 2011 and 2012, petty criminals disguised themselves as street vendors and prey on innocent people on the street. Bag snatching and pickpocket have become common trends for petty criminals and drunkards on the streets of Lae back then.

Following a public outrage in 2012, all these street vendors were chased down to Madang, while a few remained in hiding in Lae.

Madang locals told me that they now walk around in fear of being harassed by drunkards or had their belongings stolen by petty criminals in the heart of Madang town.

The once beautiful town has gone to the dogs. It no longer looks safe for women and elderly people to move around and not conducive for new businesses to operate.

Police manpower have been outnumbered and resources have become limited for police to curb criminal elements in the town. Proper police station and housing issues for the police were not resolved and this has made policing work becoming more stagnant.

Home brew has taken centre stage as the main contributor to Madang's law and order problems. Settlements have expanded onto the fringes of the once beautiful Madang, with public harassment, petty crimes and ethnic clashes becoming common.

Picture by Luther Scat Lamang
In the heart of the town, bitumen sealing have worn off leaving craters of potholes costing motorists thousands of kina to maintain their vehicles. It is indeed a sad reality that tourists and visitors to the tourism town will be greeted with potholes when they set foot in town.

While residents have been questioning local authorities on who will fix the roads in Madang, Governor Jim Kas has announced a K500,000 funding from the Provincial Services Improvement Program (PSIP) to fix the Madang town roads. Infact K500, 000 is insufficient and is a bandage solution to the road problems in Madang town.

Land grabbing is becoming another issue in Madang. Certain recreational and public areas are being blocked off to make way for new developments. The ways the land titles are awarded is fishy and it involves certain individuals who are engaged in these illegal issuing of land titles.

While we are discussing lawlessness, potholes and land grabbing, Madang will see the development of two 15-storey shopping mall under a K500million kina business investment plan. This was one of the most criticised plan on social media and has raised so many questions also on land deals in the township.

Madang MP Nixon Duban says the shopping mall will be constructed by a Korean company and Madang people will own 30% of the shares in the investment. Duban says the shopping mall and hotel development would place Madang in a better position to gain city status.

My honest opinion is that Madang can reach it's full potential of becoming a city, but it needs change from all sectors of governance. We cannot put put the cart before the horse, who will will drive development? It is the people that will play an important role in giving a head start to developments in Madang.

Why are our people walking around in fear? These are the mothers of our future, wives of the workforce that is driving Madang's economy, sisters of young intellectual men that we need to change Madang. These are are our fathers and elderly people that we need to seek advice from on our way to success. Why are we letting our own people walking around in fear of being robbed or held up by petty criminals and or harassed by drunkards at the bus stops.

We need to fix the roads in our town and beautify the place so that tourists and investors can see and feel a need to invest in Madang. Let's relive the glory days of Madang, make it better and memorable for all who come to stay. Not to create fear and anxiety in our visitors.

I believe with better roads and a safe and peaceful environment we will have more nationals, Europeans, Australians and Americans (apart from Chinese) to come do business in our province.

It is now or never, lets make a change for Madang.... Build good roads, create a safe town for all.

GOD BLESS MADANG


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