By ANDREW ALPHONSE
PEOPLE of Komo in Southern Highlands province last Friday celebrated the opening of a new district office and the launching of a VSAT satellite communication system.
The old district office, together with other government buildings, were destroyed following a fiery tribal fight in 1997 between the Tagima Wakia and Takima Wahaei clans who live on the fringes of the remote government station.
The fight started following a dispute over land and claimed more than 17 lives while properties worth millions of kina were destroyed.
As gun battle continued on for years, the district office, health centre, airstrip and police station were among other government services which were forced to close.
The station was deserted as locals and public servants fled for fear of their lives until Komo Margarima MP Francis Potape, and South East Mananda oil field landowners decided to rebuild the station.
Mr Potape facilitated for the release of K300,000 for the new district office and another K200,000 for the VSAT communication system from the SE Mananda memorandum of agreement (MoA) funds.
Umbrella Joint Venture (UJV), a landowner company from SW Mananda, built the new district office and installed the communication system.
The occasion was also the first ever for a huge crowd to get together after years of fighting.
Mr Potape urged the people to uphold law, order and peace, in order to benefit from more government services in their area.
UJV managing director Ipabe Huligeli said Komo is the home to the lucrative Hides, Moran and SW Mananda oil and gas fields but proceeds from these projects over the years have not being put to good use to serve the people.
Lemson Lemabe, chairman of Hides Special Purpose Authority, said a communal effort was needed between the people, government leaders and landowners to bring services to the people.
Mr Lemabe said because of poor leadership, people had been made to suffer.
He assured Mr Potape of the authority’s commitment to bring about services and changes to Komo station.
Mr Potape also delivered a K200,000 cheque for the construction of a new Walagu health sub centre during the occasion.