Former WHP member dies

A FORMER Western Highlands provincial council member Thomas Paraka has passed away after a long illness.
Paraka, 55, from the Onbi tribe of Jiwaka died from kidney failure.
He is survived by three wives, eight children and one grandchild.
Paraka served as works minister under premier Lucas Roika. He was a councillor for the Onbi tribe from 1983 to 1987 and in 1988 won the provincial.
His son, John Woti, said Paraka’s death had created a vacuum in the leadership of the tribe as his father was instrumental in maintaining peace and good relations among the people.
“God created and gives wisdom to people or mandated them like Paraka and to lose one of them is a big gap and it takes time to find someone like him,” Woti said.

“Several leaders who attended the funeral have talked about quality leadership and I believe that my father was a real person who has performed his leadership that touched and changed many lives,” he said.
Woti said when Paraka was the works minister he even performed and delivered to the people.
“Nowadays such leaders needed to be given a credit for what they have been doing to the people and country.”
“We have a lot of leaders like Paraka who have been doing a lot and I want to remind the people that without them we won’t be like what we are today.”
Woti urged his tribesmen and women to follow in his father’s footsteps to improve their lives.