Enga road needs repairs, says Kandep councillor

THE Laigaip-Kandep road in Enga province needs urgent repair and maintenance, a councillor says.
Kandep electorate councillor Thomas Wenge said the road from Niungu-Liyan was the most affected part as people had to lift vehicles across treacherous sections.
Wenge blamed governor Peter Ipatas and Laiagam-Porgera Philip Kikala for doing nothing to maintain the road that served 100,000 people.
He said Ipatas, who travelled to Kandep two weeks ago to pay village court magistrates, had seen how his people were suffering.
Wenge said services such as schools and health centres were affected.
He said the road starting from Laigaip Het Wara and Kandep border were the responsibility of Ipatas and Kikala to fund and make sure they were in good stage.
Wenge said schools and health centres on the other side of the road at Laigaip Het Wara were Pilikambi Secondary School, Keplam, Mapumanda, Papayuk and Wanapop primary schools and the two health centres of Yango and Keplam.
He said in Kandep, schools and health centre that were affected were Lawi, Walwin, Yapum, Ketel, Longap, Muripi, Kesu, Kirip, Kambia, Tinjipa, Wer, Kandep, Marian and Maur primary schools and Kandep High School.
The health centres are Kete, Kirip, Kambia, Yapum, Longamp, Walupim, Tinjipa, Wer and the Murlp National Agriculture Institute station.
Wenge said those were the services people needed the most.
He said people had been deprived of these services because of poor road conditions.
He said people found it hard to transport their garden crops to sell in markets and trade store owners had been affected because it cost them more to transport goods.