Governor backs Basil

 MOROBE Governor Kelly Naru has called on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to intervene and resolve the Bulolo District Services Improvement Programme funds (DSIP) saga between MP Sam Basil and Finance Minister James Marape. 

Naru made this call yesterday after learning that Bulolo, one of nine districts in his province, had received only K1 million of its scheduled  K10 million DSIP funds promised by the government.  

Naru said the DSIP funds belonged to the people of Bulolo and should not be unnecessarily held back because of a dispute between two politicians. 

“The money rightfully belongs to the people of Bulolo, it does not belong to Sam Basil or James Marape,” Naru said.

“Sam Basil is doing what is right for his people so minister Marape should release the money.

“I call on the prime minister to step in and order Marape to release the cheques so that my people in Bulolo can receive their money.

“This is childish behaviour by the minister, holding my people of Morobe to ransom just because he has some differences with Sam Basil.”

Naru said his PEC recently declared Bulolo and Wau towns as fighting zones following unrest between landowner groups.

Police mobile squads have been deployed there to enforce a curfew.

Naru said the DSIP funds were needed to help the district administration deal with the state of emergency in Bulolo and Wau.

“I fully support Sam Basil and renew my call for the prime minister to direct his minister for finance not to play politics at the expense of the lives of my people,” Naru said.

Meanwhile, Marape said he would sue Basil over allegations that he had paid K2 million to a Lae businessman.

Basil claimed that Marape paid K2m to a Lae company called Power Boss, a company owned by Michael Pai and Samuel Wariupa, both of Lae.

“Finance is not a pay office,” Marape said. “We receive submissions all the time.”