Helas continue with celebrations

HELA people are celebrating the birth of their province following the unanimous vote by parliament to accept the Boundaries Commission Report on Nov 23.
Hela Transitional Authority chief executive officer William Bando thanked the government and the previous Somare government, particularly Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare for delivering on his promise to the people of Hela.
Bando thanked agencies of government including chief secretary Manasupe Zurenuoc and the Department of Provincial Affairs and the chairman and members of the commission.
He commended the Hela Gimbu Association for its persistence and commitment in ensuring the dreams of the Hela people were finally realised.
He said the people of Hela owed it to national leaders like Morobe Governor Luther Wenge and all Southern Highlands MPs for their united push for a Hela province.  
“We have achieved a sense of belonging. The battle has been won but it is now time to unite our people in order to progress as one united province and I call on the people and leaders of Hela to be responsible and take ownership of their destiny,” Bando said.
“It’s been a long struggle, it’s taken 37 years since former Koroba-Lake Kopiago MP Andrew Wabiria introduced the bill for a Hela province in 1974 and that dream has now been realised.”
Bando said their struggle went down to the wire as they had to defend a possible court decision following an application by the Anglimp LLG to stop the Boundaries Commission Report being presented in Parliament.
“It was a hectic five days. It was a question of whether the court action and parliament prevailed by adopting the Boundaries Commission Report,” he said.