LAE DESERVES BETTER - MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT

I am writing this with great empathy for ordinary Papua New Guineans living in Lae City, people from all provinces and cross-sections of communities in Morobe. I was born and raised in Lae and am so proud to call Morobe my home for the last 26-years.

I may not be where I am if I haven’t attended a school in Lae, use medical facilities here and of course found a job that represents the voices of the Morobe people.

Elections have come and go every five years, but our people still carry sick patients and walk for several hours (sometimes days) to receive medical treatment.

In Lae city, housing, employment and law and order continues to affect families everyday. Whom do we blame? Ourselves, we have been voting in the wrong people all the time who cannot get their priorities right and even fight to develop our place.

This election we have a good number of credible candidates contesting the Lae Open seat. We have Sir Nagora Bogan, a highly qualified Ahi man who has served at high level capacities with experiences in economics and politics. We have Sir Bob Sinclair, a Lae based businessman who spent almost half of his life in Lae. We have John Rosso, a home-grown businessman who grew up in the settlements of Lae to now own a chain of companies. A great philanthropist who has assisted so many people from all communities in Lae. Micah Vines Parimani, a civil engineer by profession who was behind several multi-million projects in the Nations Capital.

From the Ahi communities, we have a total of 11 candidates contesting. Vocal candidates like Michael Earley-Daure, Mala Stephen Ahi, Hiob Awagasi and others. With due respect to the Ahis, they deserve to have a say on the political level given the case that their traditional land has been used by the government to have Lae City. One thing I fear is they might split up their chances of having one of their own son or daughter retaining the seat. But that can only be confirmed through the ballot papers.

There are lots of other candidates who have sound policies to develop and transform the lives of ordinary people in Lae. There are also candidates who have spent their lives growing up, getting married and have established business and family relations with Morobeans.

Our country has a debt level of K24billion. That means every individual Papua New Guinean will have to pay around K3000 each to bail PNG out of this economic debt. PNG is literally broke. The K15million District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) grant is insufficient to solve all our problems and issues in Lae.

Lae City generates a lot of money from internal revenue into its coffers. Every year, Lae makes K110million in internal revenue alone. For example, Riback Stevedores pays the Lae City Council K400,000 every month as rental for the Lae old airport container yard. Where does all these monies go to?

This election, vote with your conscience, don’t sell your votes for alcohol, food or money. Think about your children and analyse your candidates of choice and vote very wisely.