ESP villages need roads

By GABRIEL FITO
THE laid-back hinterland villages of Kawanumbo, Majuwon, Swik and Sarembo in the Boikin-Dagua local level government, East Sepik, lack government goods and services.
There is a bulldozer track built over two decades ago which only four-wheel drive vehicles and tractors can use for the steep climb to Kawanumbo from the Boikin Catholic Mission on the west coast of Wewak.
No vehicle has reached the other three villages located at the back of Kawanumbo.
Majuwom village ward seven councillor John Yan had tried so many times to get the government to build a road to his village, up until his death in Lae last week.
Because there is no road, his relatives will have to carry his body on their shoulders for six hours from Boikin to Majuwom tomorrow.
A dead woman from the same village will be airlifted by a chartered helicopter to the village for burial tomorrow.
Paul Simbago, a member of the village development committee and chairman of the East Sepik Fisheries Co-operative Society, said it was indeed a sad sight to see the dead being carried on the shoulders of relatives.
For only the third time, a helicopter will be used to transport a body tomorrow.
Simbago said economic activity, especially cocoa production, was poor as people faced great difficulty in transporting the beans to buyers.
Ward six councillor Albert Muruking, who represents two of the affected villages, said successive governments had failed to build roads for the villagers.
They had heard of funds being allocated each year but there was no physical work done because the money was either misused or diverted elsewhere by those in authority.