Jiwaka remains underdeveloped

AS we head into 2020 and about to reach the next general election which is in two years, I’d like to shed some light on development issues in Jiwaka.
Since Jiwaka was separated from Western Highlands and became a province of its own, along with Hela, Jiwaka has not developed.
Jiwaka people have participated in the 2012 and 2017 elections and have four MPs in the National Parliament.
These leaders have failed miserably to deliver any real impact projects to more than 300,000 people in the province.
I give few credit to pioneer Governor Dr William Tongamp and the provincial education division for establishing around eight new high schools, building two new vocational schools, elevating three high schools to secondary status and more in the pipeline.
However, the academic performance of schools in the province has a lot of catch up to do.
I also commend Jimi MP Wake Goi for upgrading the Sipil-Karap and building new bridges at this section of the road as well as subsidising airfares. But there is more that needs to be done.
Credit should be given to North Waghi MP Dr Fabian Pok for subsidising school fees for students from his electorate that are attending tertiary institutions and distributing roofing iron sheets, which many claim is substandard quality, and building some police quarters at Banz.
But more is needed to be done.
In Anglimp-South Waghi, Joe Kuli is doing well with road projects as well as rural electrification project.
But as a vast electorate with more than 1000,000 people, meeting the peoples’ expectation is still a huge challenge.
However, when you compare the magnitude of these mentioned projects (some yet to eventuate or not verified) to the money in the form of District Services Improvement Programme and Provincial Services Improvement Programme received by these leaders in the last eight years, a lot of these monies are unaccounted for or not used as I understand.
In one year, the four MPs are supposed to receive K40 million (K10mil per MP), that is they have received K320 million already in the last eight years (2012-2019, with K120 million yet to be received before 2022.
Jiwaka is a very small province with very effective support systems such as roads, bridges, mission stations, multinational companies and schools that can be utilised to make it a model province if all the three district MPs and the Governor work together and in partnership with the churches, private sector and non-government organisations.
However, these mandated leaders have never worked together.
I don’t know why they seem to always operate in isolation.
In terms of impact projects such as the revival of the rundown Waghi Mek Coffee plantations or harnessing the vast agricultural potential of the province, our leaders do not seem to work as a team.
Our mandated leaders have no input in the development of the townships of Minj and Banz or the satellite town of Kudjip, Kindeng, Kimil or Nondugl or partnered in any impact projects to generate internal revenue for the province, let alone the private sector and Asians doing businesses.
The establishment of the provincial headquarter at Kurumul is still incomplete and soaks up a lot of people’s money intended for service delivery.
There is a lot of politics going on about the issue of where the provincial headquarter should be located without any consultation done with the people.
So many things are not going right in this province but still people are so ignorant and keep silent.
We are moving away from the visions and dreams of the founding fathers which was to make this province great.
We request that an audit is done to acquit those funds which we believe have been misused.
Can the Department of Implementation and Rural Development office provide us an update of how Jiwaka MPs have acquitted their DSIPs/PSIPs from 2012-2019 before funds for 2020 is released?
We are not seeing any real tangible developments on the ground.
Former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Finance Secretary Dr Ken Nangan can clarify if Jiwaka MPs have received less, more or no money at all than what is highlighted here.
Our people seem to make the same mistakes every election time. They do not vote quality leaders with integrity but sell their dignity cheaply to candidates who offer them cash handouts, beer cartons, lamp flaps and then they cry over spilt milk.
We have no one to blame but ourselves.

Fed up Jiwakan