Decision to evict Goilalas simplistic, says Rigo MP

By LORRAINE JIMAL
MORESBY South MP Justin Tkatchenko’s decision to move all Goilala people back to their district is a simplistic solution as they are not the only ones causing trouble in the city, Rigo MP Lekwa Gure says.
Incidents and problems caused by some Goilalas recently led to leaders such as Tkatchenko, who is Minister of Housing and Urban Development, telling them to vacate the settlements.
“If we want to remove them, we should do that to others who are causing trouble as well,” Gure said.
“You cannot send every innocent person back home when a few are doing it, this is just simplicity.”
He said all the issues happened because of lack of development in the district, causing the rural-urban drift and the Goilalas migrated seeking a better life in the city.
However, Gure said there were also people from all parts of the country who lived in the city and they just had to learn to live with each other.
Central Governor Robert Agarobe added that the Goilala people came in for better opportunities and services in the city and for Tkatchenko to label a group of people as trouble-makers was not right.
“Not every Goilala is a trouble-maker and for him (Tkatchenko) to go and label them as trouble makers is totally wrong and that’s why I was very upset,” he said.
Agarobe said he had no right to do that.
“There are many good Goilalas living in the community,” he said.