Be accountable: Agiru

SOUTHERN Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru has called on leaders at all levels of the PNG society to be honest and accountable in their conduct to man and God.
Mr Agiru, who was very busy in the negotiations for the PNG LNG project, spent the week at his home in Tari, and was invited to address more than 5,000 people who gathered for the golden jubilee celebrations of the SDA church in Tari.
People came from all corners of PNG, including Bougainville, for the occasion.
Living pioneers of the church came up from Australia and New Zealand.
Those who had died were represented by their children.
The church and government have worked hard to develop Tari and the province.
With the country about to experience a transformation and see wealth increase from the LNG project, Mr Agiru used the occasion to call for accountability from leaders.
“Leaders from every strata of PNG must be accountable to both God and man.
“Leaders must be accountable in how we manage resource and finances, how we carry out our responsibilities, how we conduct ourselves publicly.
“This starts at the Cabinet level down to the village and landowner leaders.
“What we do we must do honestly.
“We must protect the integrity of the offices we hold. If we do, this country will move many miles forward,” he said
Mr Agiru also said leaders must learn to live within their means.
“We will stray out of line if we do not do this.”
To the people, he said: “Do not have unnecessary expectations from your leaders. This “give me! Give me!” mentality is bad and must be done away with.”