Hiri festival launch turns verbal

A ceremony held at Boera village outside Port Moresby last Saturday to launch the 2007 Hiri Moale Festival turned into a political rally.
It also turned into a shouting match as villagers demanded that Hiri Moale chairman Muri Henao tell them why they had not been paid for contributing to the 2006 festival.
Some villagers complained that they were still owed money for building lakatois, clearing up the site for the event, and building houses for last year’s Hiri Moale.
They claimed that K100, 000 given by the Central provincial government for last year’s event had been misused by Mr Henao.
The National was invited to cover the launching of popular festival, which is held every September, but ended up witnessing a three-hour political rally for Kairuku-Hiri Open candidate Peter Isoaimo.
Mr Isoaimo is also the Central provincial government chairman for the economic sector.
He took the opportunity, after the three-hour talkfest by local councillors, to launch the 2007 Hiri Moale on behalf of Central Governor Alphonse Moroi.
Mr Isoaimo confirmed that K100, 000 was paid to the festival committee for last year’s event.
“That money was used to build lakatois, transport logs from inland to the village, and other preparations,” he said.
“The problem was because Mr Henao had overcommitted the involvement of the people, hoping that the K50, 000 that was pledged by business houses and individuals who are now candidates, would be paid up.
“But to date, none of them has done that.”
Mr Isoaimo encouraged the people to participate in the preparation of the festival because they would benefit from it in the long run.
“I also called on the villagers to officially submit their claims to my office so that they can be confirmed.
“If the claims are genuine, then they will get paid.”
 

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