Fight corruption, people told

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Friday 12th April, 2013

PEOPLE of New Ireland have been urged to fight corruption and free themselves from the “handout mentality”.

Retired Defence Force officer Lt-Col William Bartley said the province would not develop and grow if the society and government system were “systematically corrupt”.

“Corruption in New Ireland is a cancer which continues to thrive making the people poor by missing out on opportunities,” he said.

“We have a huge problem of moral decay and fiscal deterioration and no amount of millions (of kina) from the mines or any brilliant plans can change New Ireland with this 

problem. 

“We, the people of New Ireland, are our own enemies. We have and continue to undermine ourselves by being vulnerable to political hoodwinking due to lack of rational thinking.”

Bartley said the people in his Namatanai district were the most disadvantaged people who were deprived of basic services such as health, water and sanitation, electricity and income generating opportunities.

“We have our mothers and sisters giving birth in the dark in Namatanai health centre with kerosene lamps and torches and getting water from nearby tanks or containers to clean up during post delivery cleansing. This has been going on for the last 30 years,” he said. 

Bartley added that a recent report by Transparency International found that the conduct of 2012 national elections was flawed with corruption and that the political climate did not provide an environment for voters and candidates to exercise their constitutional rights freely and fairly.