Governor welcomes development partners

National, Normal
Source:

The Nationl, Monday 3rd September, 2012

WESTERN Governor Ati Wobiro has welcomed established partners to come into the province and help develop it so that basic services can be delivered to the people.
Wobiro issued the invitation at a meeting in Tabubil on Saturday, with executives of Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML), Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF), Papua New Guinea Development Sustainable Programme (PNGSDP) and other stakeholders.
He was accompanied by his deputy Borok Pitalk, who is the local level government (LLG) president for Star Mountains, and presidents from other LLGs.
Wobiro told them that the focus was on Western people; to touch their lives and on working from ground level up.
“This is a timely avenue and opportunity I believe in my heart that Western is in for a good time,” he said.
“I’m in for politics but for development also and I have had a wide consultation with my three open members plus our development partners and Provincial Executive Council members,” he said.
OTDF chief executive officer Ian Middleton, who was among presenters who briefed Wobiro and his delegates on their work in the province, supported the governor, saying that both the provincial government and stakeholders needed to work together to develop Western.
Middleton said there was a huge responsibility to address education, health and other basic services and the approach must come from the ground level up.
He said OTDF would support Wobiro and his provincial government with projects like the youth development programme, timber processing and fishing and processing.
“We are doing this the sustainable way,” Middleton said.