Lack of funds slows service delivery: President

A REPORT last week in the media on Ahi local level government (LLG) president Sam Agi not delivering services to his constituents was because of a lack of funding he says.
Agi said the reason for the lack of service delivery in Ahi LLG was because successive MPs of both Nawaeb and Lae which Ahi comes under, had not done their parts.
Agi, who has been the Ahi local level government president for 20 years, said 10 of Ahi’s 17 wards were in Lae while seven were in Nawaeb.
He said successive Nawaeb MPs had at allocated some funds to his LLG but he had received nothing from Lae MPs.
“When current Lae MP, John Rosso won the seat, he stood out from this traditional practice of ignoring us and has been working well with me,” Agi said.
“Nawaeb MP Kennedy Wenge is also working very well with me.”
“Submissions after submissions were sent in past years regarding a water supply, roads, classrooms and other basic services like health but we were never given serious consideration.”
Agi said he had served as Ahi LLG president under Lae MPs including Bart Philemon, Loujaya Kouza, Gisuat Siniwin and late Timothy Bonga – but had not been able to deliver services under them.
He said a certain presidential candidate for Ahi (named) went out to the media telling the people that he had not delivered during his 20 years in office.
He said the opposing candidate had worked under Philemon and Kouza and was aware of the difficulties he had faced as his submissions and plans for the local level government had not been approved.
“He blamed me for something he knew had been caused by factors outside my control,” He said.
“Being the president of Ahi is very stressful.
“Lae will say go to Nawaeb for funding and Nawaeb will say go to Lae or will fund a little.
“I’m glad the two current MPs are working well with us.”