Highway will spur urban drift

Letters

I WRITE in support of comments made by Jarra Kawage of Kundiawa regarding construction of the highway from Southern Highlands to Gulf.
What Kawage has mentioned in his comments is very true.
When that highway is complete, we will see an unprecedented influx of people migrating from the Highlands region into the Southern region. The Government thinks Port Moresby is the only city people can come to settle and make business.
Why not spend money on building Tari and Mendi towns into cities? People there can have access to modern shops and banks to do business instead of coming all the way to Port Moresby.
Why not give money to the districts to upgrade feeder roads leading from existing main highways into our rural villages?
This is better than spending it on the unnecessary highway.
In my view, the idea to link up Port Moresby is most likely to completely destroy lives of peace-loving people of Gulf and Central.
This includes Motu-Koitabuans who have already been deprived of their land rights through ongoing illegal land grabbing.
Southern Region governors and MPs from Western to Northern must open up their eyes and come to their senses. They must see what this Government is trying to create in the name of national development.
If you leaders fail to stop what is going on under your nose, then I can assure there is going to be something very nasty going to happen over the horizon in five years’ time. I read every day about nasty and horrible things happening in Middle East and African countries, where innocent mothers and children are being killed or become refugees on their own land.
This is because of misbehavior and attitude problems of uncivilised minds. Kawage rightly says hordes of immigrants will migrate into the big city in their thousands.
Their village mentality and inherited tribal conflicts will cause anarchy and absolute destruction to National Capital District and Central. This is a very frightening trend and can ignite disaster.
I now call on Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta, Kairuku-Hiri MP Peter lsoaimo, Central Governor Robert Agarobe and other Papuan MPs to petition Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to stop building this highway project.
The people of Gulf and Central have also not agreed to build this highway to connect Port Moresby.
We do not want this highway, thank you.

Jim Bai
Rafkona
Gerehu