Isifu hailed for work

By JAMIE HARO
UNITED Resources Party leader William Duma says the late Wewak MP Kevin Isifu was a determined man.
He made the statement at Isifu’s funeral service at the Rev Sioni Kami Memorial Church in Port Moresby yesterday.
“The United Resources Party (URP) has lost an asset and a great man, the late Kevin Isifu was a dynamic, young leader and a rising political leader from the Mamose region,” the Minister for State Enterprises and Hagen MP said.
Duma said he met Isifu during the 2017 national general election preparations and encouraged him to join URP, but lost him to the People’s Progress Party (PPP) which he represented when he entered parliament as the new Wewak MP.
“He never ran away from us, when he entered Parliament as a member of the PPP, he still conversed well with us, we were all surprised then when he changed his mind to join the URP in 2019.” Duma added.
He said Isifu had just returned to parliament as a two-term MP under URP when the party lost him again.
“He was young leader who still had a lot of dreams for the people of Wewak, his province and had a lot of potential to contribute to this nation.”
Duma acknowledged and thanked the people of Wewak on behalf to the party for Isifu’s return to parliament before his passing.
Rai Coast MP Kessy Sawang said Isifu was a man who showed humility in his leadership when she worked as his first secretary during his time as minister for Inter-Government Relations.
“He was a silent achiever, he did a lot of reforms and one of them was on decentralisation and giving autonomy to three provinces, New Ireland, East New Britain and Enga,” Sawang said.
She said Isifu’s ability to listen to views and opinions created space for others to contribute ideas and it should be cultivated more in the political realm.
Meanwhile, the late Isifu’s casket overnighted at the funeral home to be flown into Wewak where he would be laid to rest today.