Joy as track becomes road

 By DOROTHY MARK

PEOPLE in the Ambenob local level government in Madang are celebrating the upgrading of the Danib-Alopa road which was once a bush track.

The road was built after Independence in 1975 by former politicians Paul Kamod and Sir Angmai Bilas but had not neglected.

More than 4,000 people live in the Alopa, Muguru, Belan, Afurfi and Ongar villages in wards 9, 10 and 11 of the Ambenob LLG in Madang district.

Women used bush tracks to walk more than 20km to the main road at Danib junction to catch PMVs to the markets in Midiba, Maiwara, Sek and Pau.

“We use to wake up as early as 3am and start walking by 4am and 5am to get to the main road to catch PMVs,” Nelien Mui from Muguru village said. 

Madang MP and Police Minister Nixon Philip Duban who hails from that area allocated K800,000 to upgrade the road.

An old man from Muguru said they wept when the excavator arrived to upgrade the road.

Madang District Road Construction Company began working on the first 8km of the road three weeks ago.

Former Ambenob LLG president George Kilibob said there were schools, aid posts and churches in the area which would greatly benefit from the upgraded road.

Duban told the people last Sunday to support the work being carried out and to refrain from asking for compensation on cash crops being destroyed.

“We are Madang people and calling for compensation is not our character because it will only stop development from reaching our villages,” Duban said.