Nipa-Kutubu education a priority for Komal

Weekender

By PETER WARI
Nipa-Kutubu MP Jeffery Komal has cast his eyes on education as the key factor in developing Nipa Kutubu.
Komal, who is also Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said the District Development Authority will pay special attention to elementary level education as sthe pringboard for long-term growth.
Komal said elementary schools come within the jurisdiction of the local level government but he has decided to accommodate it under his development plan because it is where learning begins.
The district is highly populated with difficult topography. But the MP is determined to make sure there are improved infrastructures at primary, high, secondary and technical levels of education.
He also wants to take care of the  tuition fees of students attending tertiary institutions.
“You cannot go to university or elsewhere without passing elementary school, therefore all elementary schools will be upgraded with infrastructure and other learning tools,” Komal said.
He said Kutubu oil will run dry one day and now is the time to support human resources in the province.
The students “are future leaders of this nation and having many educated elites in a district increases cash flow, reduces poverty and changes the mindset of youths who are involved in illegal activities”.
He is satisfied that he had completed 80 per cent of the 2012-2017 developmental plans and looks forward to completing the remaining 20 per cent before starting on the 2017-2022 projects.
Komal said his DDA meetings will focus on services and the roadmap for 2017-2022, using 2012-2017 as a guide.
“The meeting will also be used to identify the shortfalls and the constraints faced in fulfilling the 2012 -2017 district development plan and recommend corrective measures to be accommodated in the 2017-2022 plans,” he said.
One important sector the DDA is pushing is agriculture to go hand in hand with the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector as Komal sees this as the future.
During his election campaign, Komal spoke a lot about young people and the issues they faced. Now he has “promised to support them as part of my election promise. I vow to mobilise the youths and integrate them so that they participate and benefit from my developmental initiatives”.
“And to begin with, selected youth groups within the electorate that meet the set criteria will be allocated K50,000 beginning 2018 as seed capital money to fund their nominated projects,” he said.
The five pillars of his developmental goals are health, education, law and justice, infrastructure development and SME.
Some projects that he wants to complete before 2022 are:

  • Nipa’s 20-year township physical development plan;
  • Nipa’s sports stadium, for 2018 PNG Games;
  • The Nipa hospital;
  • The Nipa teachers’ college;
  • Nipa township sealing;
  • Nipa courthouse;
  • The commissioning of the Nipa rural lockup;
  • Nipa police baracks, being funded by Oil Search Ltd;
  • Nipa Secondary School, being funded by Oil Search Ltd;
  • the Kowama health centre, being funded by Oil Search Ltd; and
  • the district Treasury building

“No leader can make miracles to bring all these services in one year or one term but it takes time, money and effort to physically deliver such, so I call on all the people of Nipa-Kutubu electorate to understand the matrix involved and bear with me as I do my best to deliver,” Komal said.
He calls on the 18 candidates who stood against him in the election to help: “At the end of the day, the people have spoken and we must all accept that decision. I will be available to work with anyone for the good of Nipa-Kutubu electorate.
“You may have dreams and visions, something better than I have and all we need now is cooperation to ensure good things happen for our people.”