Address chaos

LAWLESSNESS continues to flood Hela while the political leaders have gone into hiding.
In the last week or so, 11 people have lost their lives in the Pureni fight.
These are our people dying and thousands displaced.
Their livelihood is affected. Their properties and infrastructures destroyed.
School childrens’ education permanently destroyed.
Public servants on the run.
What is leadership?
What is the primary role of the governor, MPs and the provincial government?
One can do so much but cannot allow these things to claim innocent lives.
Ethnic groups in Papua New Guinea are growing their population, local economies, schools, hospitals, public servants housing and townships.
As for Hela everything is being depleted on a daily basis.
This is sad and unacceptable.
Our forefathers predicted that a “generation of haletapa” will come.
That generation will not listen to anyone.
That generation will breathe organised chaos and civil disorder into the communities of Hela.
Are we in that generation?
When political leaders do not listen to decency and civility, respect for fellow Hela man, and discharge power and authority, one wonders whether the “haletapa” generation has arrived and in charge.
The primary responsibility of any politician and public servant is to save people’s lives and protect its borders.
It’s shameful to stand in front of people with fancy suits and colour neckties and talk about development projects.
Our leadership qualities have been measured and found wanting.
Our strength to stand against gun totting warlords have been measured and found wanting.
Even the little children growing on the plains and swamps and hills throughout Hela do not want to hear our names because those names are of no value, no meaning and gives no sense of security.
I call on Hela public servants – the administrator, treasurer, examiners to stop printing cheques after cheques knowing that nothing is happening in Hela.
Papua New Guineans have eyes and ears.
They see what is happening in Hela.
They hear what is happening in Hela. Our past Hela leaders were fence builders in Papua New GuineA.
What’s the point of being a fence builder if your garden is overgrown by weeds?
Bring change to Hela.

Francis Potape