In praise of Peter O’Neill

Letters

EVERY year, people make Christmas and New Year resolutions.
I now make my resolution to rebut my past critical views on the work of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.
After all, PMPO is my classmate (1982 UPNG PY).
He is from Ialibu-Pangia and I am from Kagua-Erave, SHP. We speak the same Kewapi dialect.
At the personal level, I am a nationalist.
I don’t believe in tribalism, provincialism, regionalism or the wantok system.
I would like to see matters of governance conducted within the spirit of our Constitution, the separation of powers, principles and within the bounds of our written laws. The laws are written for a reason and purpose.
I am not implying that Peter O’Neill has broken laws in the business of running his government. He has tried all his best with the best of intensions.
And he has done his best thus far. Humans make mistake and this is where critics and criticisms come in and all criticism are healthy tools for a pause and for recourse of cognitive reviews.
Critics and criticisms are part of human nature as every eye and mind looks at things differently.
I can honestly say Peter O’Neill has done extremely well.
I travel a lot overseas and domestically.
Our airports have been changed to international standards. When I sit at the waiting lounge in Goroka or Mt Hagen’s Kagamuga airport, it’s like I am in Cairns, Brisbane or Adelaide international airports.
My own road from Ialibu to Kagua is sealed, and likewise all those other district and provincial roads you see.
My other district road, the Kundiaw-Gembogl, is being upgraded and sealed.
Amazingly, the Chinese are at work day and night building this road. Who brought the Chinese to build this road? Peter O’Neill did.
The farmers of Gembogl, or hikers of Mt Wilhelm do not care how the Chinese got here. All they want is their road and this is the same talk around the country.
And this is one of missing links between Chimbu and Madang that will link up the Highlands as an alternative route. I am aware there are many similar kind of missing links under construction around the country.
The significant public infrastructures are our wharves and jetties. The Port Moresby and Lae wharves have been upgraded to international standards.
Our own Port Moresby city has been developed to international standards and there is no denial about Port Moresby’s unprecedented growth within a short of time. Port Moresby city growth is the yardstick for O’Neill to measure up and grandstand and chest beat.
We all ought to take our caps off to Peter O’Neill for all the many good things he has done so far and will do in the years to come if he remains in power.
Peter O’Neill is a transformational leader.
He is taking the risks and be so it. Finally, I want Peter O’Neill to remain in power for the next 10-15 years (two or three parliamentary terms) because I trust him to transform this country to the next level and be on par with the world – a 21st century nation.
We let him connect Port Moresby to Lae, Madang to Sepik, Gulf to SHP, Enga to Sepik, Western New Britain to East New Britain, and Northern to Port Moresby.
Peter O’Neill is capable. He will do it.

Yapi Akore
Kagua-Erave