MOROBE NEEDS VIBRANT LEADERS, NOT POLITICIANS

I am originally from a community that lives hundreds of kilometers from the government station in the Wosera-Gawi electorate of East Sepik. I was born and raised in Lae, lived and worked in Lae and I will continue to serve Papua New Guinea in Lae.

I am one of several people from other provinces who have called Morobe our home and proud to be another Mangi Lae from the notorious Papuan Compound.

During my short tenure working in the mainstream media, I have covered almost all districts of Morobe than my Sepik region. I walk, eat and sleep with people from the most remotest parts of Morobe. We pulled vehicles out of the mud together and crossed the fastest flowing rivers together to get to our destination.

Rural folks have asked me so many questions about national issues, political infighting and even why services are not delivered to their doorsteps. I have spent several hours sitting up and explaining every details about the thriving corruption in PNG and why services are lip delivered to the rural populace.

I haven't spent time with my own family...... I left parents who are still waiting to give me advises about life and brothers and sisters who are missing me on every family gatherings. I have walked long distances to report on the struggles of the people.

It's 2017, the National General Elections are fast approaching and the people especially in rural areas will be the subject of intending candidates running for elections.

In Morobe, there are few districts out of the nine that have seen and experienced real tangible developments over the last five years.

Bulolo is the leading district in Morobe province in terms of development that have taken place in the rural communities. It's local MP also heads the PANGU Pati ( PNG's pioneer political party) and the precedence set by Basil in Bulolo in rolling out services in his district is revered all over Morobe and PNG.

Menyamya, still needs alot to be done to fix the highway all the way from 9 mile junction through Bulolo and straight to Menyamya. coffee bags are rotting away while waiting for the road to be fixed and even health centers and schools are still waiting for supplies to arrive.

Markham despite being situated along the highway, it still needs electricity and clean water supply to be installed in the communities. Law and order problems also needs special attention by the police. A police barracks for highway patrol should be placed at somewhere along Markham to monitor and maintain security along the highway and the villages. The deteriorating conditions of the Highlands Highway at Markham is another indication of the government's neglect on the country's economic highway.

Nawaeb district is rich with organic coffee beans and agricultural cash crops, but access to roads remains a major challenge for the people of Wain, Erap, Boana and Nabak in the mountains. The coastal communities of Bukawa also lacks services in their communities due to poor road conditions and bridges to cross fast flowing rivers in the Labuta constituency.

Huon Gulf is one of the most difficult districts in Morobe as it stretches from 40 mile outside Lae, to Nadzab, up to Mare and Lower-Watut bordering Bulolo all the way to Salamaua and Morobe Patrol Post in the southern coastline off Lae. Much of it's development have been centered around creating accessibility for transportation of goods and services. It also has a greater potential in agriculture, mining and fisheries.

Finchaffen has one of the most rugged and complicated landscape in the province. It holds a great tourism potential in with the establishment by Lutheran missionaries in the 1800s. It also has great potential in coffee and fisheries but overtime it has seen little changes in terms of infrastructure developments.

Kabwum is where the high yielding coffee are grown in the province, but it is only accessible by air. It is one of he least developed districts in the province with no road links to Finchaffen and Lae. It is where services like health and education have ceased operations and the price of goods and services have increased drastically due to little cash flow in the area. Kabwum also grows the best organic tobacco (brus) in the region.

Tewai-Siassi is arguably the least of all developed district in Morobe, given it's location in the middle of the Bismark sea where it is sometimes impassable for smaller boats. Most public servants have vacated schools and health centres in the district, because of little funding and adequate supplies to upkeep the operations of service delivery.

Back home in Lae District, there's more to be done in terms of law and order, land grabbing, small business sector, unemployment and many other issues. successive government's have miserably failed to deliver what that has been the rightful measure of development for Lae. In-fact

our city roads have became narrow (just like the politicians we've been voting), health clinics have become overcrowded, petty crimes have infested major shopping areas and police continue to make arrests on criminal elements everyday in the city.

This elections, I'd rather not waste my votes on politicians who only come out and show themselves during elections. I'd rather go for a credible Morobean (Ahi or part Morobean) who has a vision to serve the people and not worrying about the next elections.

It's done deal,we have endured countless attacks in the hands of petty criminals that resides on the fringes of the city. It's high time now that a "Mangi Lae" can make his stand to address the plight of ordinary Papua New Guineans living and working in Lae City.

Vote Wisely, Every Vote Counts

PIC Caption: Samsam Footbridge in Bulolo courtesy of the Morobe Miner