Councillors told to work hard, bring services

PARTNERSHIP between the Government and developers is the way forward in delivering services to local level governments and wards, says Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture (WGJV) manager David Wissink.
Wissink made the statement to 65 ward councillors from Wampar, Salamaua and Morobe local level governments (LLGs) during a two-day induction that also involved Ramu Agri-Industries Ltd (Rail).
He advised the councillors not to be lazy and work for their people.
“All businesses and companies that invest in Huon Gulf can support the people and partnership is crucial to get things done,” Wissink said.
“But the courage to create partnerships depends on how a leader thinks and acts to achieve the goals.”
Wissink said different companies and investors come for various reasons and purposes: for profit, friendship, exploration, research and community-oriented programmes among others.
Wissink said councillors needed to be proactive to create partnerships with companies to assist them implement their LLG and ward development plans wherever possible.
He and WGJV community affairs manager David Masani highlighted some of the success stories the company had helped in cocoa and coffee production, water, health and sanitation programmes, sponsorship of community sports, the Buimo jail, conferences, education capacity building in adult literacy and numeracy and local workforce development in aptitude testing in communities from the mining area.
Wissink, who is also the chairman of Morobe health authority (MPHA), said their focus was community centred and in terms of health, the priority was to improve aid posts.
“Aid posts are the basis for health services, not Angau hospital,” he said.
“Angau should become the last option and Morobe health authority’s priority is to get health services down into districts, LLGs and wards.”
Wissink said over half of the 358 aid posts in Morobe were owned by the churches, mostly Lutheran, while the others were state run.
He said many of the aid posts were not functional due to a lack of maintenance, workers and medicine.