Leader: SHP has educated workers

By STARZA PAUL
SOUTHERN Highlands has enough professionals to work in the provincial administration, Mendi youth chairman John Arikepo says.
Arikepo said there was no need for the provincial administration to have under-skilled
employees.
He said in Port Moresby on Friday the province had many well educated people who could help develop it better than employing semi-skilled public servants.
“The province has been run by cronies of senior public servants who were semi-professional or even without merit and that is why we have not seen much -needed services being delivered to our communities,” he said.
“Nepotism in employment of public servants has been another reason why we still have not seen many services in this resource-rich province.”
Arikepo called on Governor William Powi to screen for well-qualified public servants and employ them on merit.
“We have the human resources but what we lack is for our elected leaders to be fair and transparent when it actually comes to appointing public servants.
Arikepo said in the past most public servants had not lived in the province and that was another factor why the needs of the province had not been addressed properly.
“To deliver effective services, the provincial government must now employ people who are well qualified and make sure people live in the province.”
He urged Powi and the provincial assembly to be fair when appointing the provincial administrator.
“Nipa-Poruma area has the governor, Ialibu- Pangia the prime minister, Upper Mendi has the provincial treasurer but  central Mendi area has none  so appoint somone from there to the  administrator’s position,” he said.