K48m for private requests

CENTRAL Governor Robert Agarobe has received requests from people since 2017 for financial assistance which has amounted to K48 million.
“Too many people come for handouts and are hanging around the Central headquarters at Konedobu,” Agarobe said.
“Everyone is carrying around FF3 papers to fill in and submit for claims so I stopped it.
“I didn’t entertain any of these requests and claims for two years.
“Last year alone, I checked all the claims to do an audit and it went up to K48 million in personal requests alone. That’s why Central is not developing.”
Agarobe said he had stopped entertaining these claims and concentrated on building a provincial plan.
“I have not used all the funds from the provincial support improvement programme funds and development grants totalling K23 million since 2017.
“Now, I’m ready to use the money which have been tied and pre-committed to projects like road maintenance.”
Agarobe made the comments during the Central plant and transport board launch at Launakalana in Rigo on Monday.
The provincial government will upgrade nine roads.
The roads to be fixed and maintained are: Launakalana-Kelerakwa; Kupiano junction-Bam; Wiga-Boku-Sivitatana ring road; Moreguina-Ianu; Gabagaba turnoff-Hula market; Gomore-Londairi; Kubuna-Tapini-Woitape; Bereina turnoff-Veifa; and, Biotou-Angabanga.
The road projects will cost K40 million annually to maintain.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister William Samb, said he would allocate K1 million from the rural roads programme under the department to support Agarobe’s road maintenance project.
Civil Aviation Minister Lekwa Gure warned against having variations to the original costing of the projects to discourage the submission of false claims.
“Too many times opportunists take advantages of projects and they do variations to the actual costing to get extra money.
“So they get extra money from the project funds without contributing their labour.
“We have to stop that practice.”