Ikupu blamed for MKA woes

CHAIRMAN of Motu-Koitabu Assembly (MKA) Miria Ikupu has been accused of “lying and making excuses through the media” by the 11 opposing members of the assembly.
Ikupu’s claims in the media yesterday that  they would cut back on some of the programmes because MKA was facing financial problems due to National Capital District Commission (NCDC) putting a stop to monthly allocations had prompted an angry response from a Motu-Koitabu parent, including concerned members of the assembly.
“Miria is misleading Motu-Koita people and the public with his lies. He is trying to blame others and Governor Powes Parkop for his own mess,” deputy chairman of the Motu-Koitabu Morea Sere said, on behalf of the 11 members.
Sere said Ikupu bluntly refused to call a meeting after 11 members requested him to convene a meeting to discuss and sort out internal issues.
He added that the problem started after they accepted the invitation to attend a dinner hosted by Parkop last Oct 14.
“He tried to stop us from attending the dinner hosted by the governor but we went ahead and the next day he penalised us by holding back our monthly discretionary funds and instructed the security people not to allow us into MKA office premises and also blocked us from having access to the office facilities,” Sere said.
He added that the problem had nothing to do with fraud issues that he had referred to police fraud squad for investigation.
A concerned father also voiced his frustration yesterday and said many Motu- Koitabu school children, including his own, did not benefit from the school subsidies presented by the chairman last year.
“Only certain people benefited from the subsidies while rest were left to fend for their children’s school fees,” the parent, who did not want to be named, said.
Sere, in a statement yesterday, said the HOPE programme which included the education subsidy were part of the K10 million grant from the national government to the Motu-Koitabu people and was never a part of the NCDC monthly allowances.
“So Ikupu should stop lying and explain to MKA, Motu-Koitabu people, the government and provincial affairs minister and the public on how he spent the K10 million,” Sere said.