Bleak future for Gulf with poor governance, leadership

 THE appalling situation of the Gulf provincial government and administration revealed by the Public Accounts Committee has been long observed and talked about by people from all walks of life who are of Gulf origin. 

Over time poor governance and mismanagement of the province’s affairs have become so entrenched to a state where it became normal.

It is shameful, sad and disappointing. 

Indeed, the signs of poor governance and lack of service delivery are obvious throughout the length and breadth of the province. 

Education and health services as well as economic opportunities have been denied to the people for so long that most people simply complain or have resigned to becoming apathetic; not because they do not care, but rather have been effectively paralysed and disempowered by their national MPs and government at the provincial and LLG levels. 

The administrative arm of the government has been stripped off its public service function to serve the common good and instead, has become a private machinery for corrupt MPs and public servants. 

It is common knowledge among that Port Moresby is the business hub for the Gulf provincial government and administration, including LLGs and their respective district administrations whereas Kerema is only the provincial town by name. 

Imagine how much is spent on hotel accommodations and associated expenses for conducting official government business in Port Moresby. 

Funds for development are squandered when some LLG presidents reside in Port Moresby and ward councillors follow suit by conducting their businesses in the nation’s capital rather than their original constituencies.

LLG affairs should therefore be investigated too. 

One thing for sure is that the current situation is largely due to the lack of competent officers in the Gulf provincial administration. 

There are capable citizens of Gulf who are willing to contribute towards improving governance and effective administration for service delivery, but the doors have always remained closed to genuine, experienced and appropriately qualified people. 

Given the entrenched practice of filling positions with cronies, the Gulf administration has become steeped in a cycle of poor governance and mismanagement. 

To add on to the woes of Gulf, a core group of advisers and consultants who have been advising successive MPs and provincial administrators for so long that their worth has become questionable. 

This small cadre of advisers have been spinning their magic wands for so long that they have lost the plot. 

There is nothing positive and concrete to show on the ground from their advice, and so they too need to be put under public scrutiny. 

Lacking competence and integrity, many public servants and advisers alike should hang their heads in shame and take responsibility for what amounts to the blatant abuse of trust as well as human rights of the men, women and children of Gulf. 

There will be many untold stories of people dying from preventable diseases and of children missing out on education. 

The most urgent action that needs to be taken is to remove the current provincial administrator for his failure and inability to perform his roles, and allow for an impartial and merit-based recruitment process to ensure a competent and appropriately qualified person take charge of the provincial administration. 

Competency and integrity should be the guiding principles for recruiting the next provincial administrator and the respective district administrators. 

Meanwhile, their political bosses can wait to face the music come 2017.

Orovu Sepoe

Port Moresby