Cultural group applauds panel for holding festival

 FOE Cultural Group from Kutubu, Southern Highlands, applauds the festival organising committee and National Cultural Commission (NCC) for successfully organising the 5th Melanesian Festival of Arts and Culture.

Although, they may be among the last of the provincial contingents to leave Port Moresby for their oil and gas rich Kutubu, they were full of praise for the turnout at the festival.

Group leader Andrew Igimabo, while reflecting on the festival told the Kutubu community living in Morata on Monday night before they left for Kutubu yesterday, said that they were happy that they made it to Port Moresby for the festival.

“We are privileged to participate at a cultural festival of this magnitude and also met and make so many friends during the event,” he said.

Igimabo and the group thanked the festival organising committee and NCC for their involvement in the festival.

He said many people’s attention and focus in Kutubu and whole of Southern Highlands have been diverted to the benefits from the development of their oil and gas but began to lose interest in their traditional cultures.

Igimabo said their traditional culture was on the brink of dying, therefore they were trying to keep them alive.

Meanwhile, they were not happy with their leaders especially in Kutubu area for not supporting and assisting them when they were preparing to come to Port Moresby and during their stay in Port Moresby.

Igimabo said their leaders made promises and never came to their rescue while stranded in Port Moresby after the festival.

“The leaders from other areas and provinces assisted their contingents and stayed with them throughout the festival but the Foe Cultural Group was neglected. We are stranded in Port Moresby,” he said.

A Western Highlander living at Morata Settlement Solomon Kil heard of their difficulty and gave them a K1000 assistance on Monday night.