Leaders urged to stop infighting

LEADERS are concerned that infighting between politicians and senior public servants in the provincial administration is blocking progress and development in Southern Highlands.
Deputy Governor Olpa Kenger and Lai Valley People’s Association chairman Buka Huinz have called on William Powi, Francis Awesa and Michael Nali to
stop meddling with the appointment of a new provincial administrator.
They said they wanted a new administrator who was neutral and “does not have any political affiliation”.
They said too much political inference in the appointment had severely affected service delivery to the majority of the rural population.
Sources in Waigani have confirmed that Awesa is pushing for one of his tribesmen to be made administrator when his name is not on the shortlist.
Powi, who is vying for the Southern Highlands governorship, is pushing for one of his cronies, a junior officer in the provincial administration, to act in the position.
Nali and his cohorts are putting undue pressure on O’Neill to appoint someone from the Prime Minister’s electorate to be the administrator. 
Mendi Youth chairman, John Mobulu and provincial Council of Women president
Dorothy Huku have called on O’Neill to appoint a neutral person to the position in the best interest of the people and the province.
Mobulu said all these
people had a personal interest in push ing for the province’s top post and experience
had shown that politically
appointed administrators were the cause of the province’s
downfall.
Huku said power was vested in Governor Anderson Agiru to recommend someone to the National Executive Council to put all these rows to rest.
She said Agiru had the powers to make a recommendation through a PEC meeting and that must happen soon.
Senior bureaucrats in
Waigani confirmed that a PEC recommendation had been made and a submission was before Cabinet.
“Southern Highlands is just one province and the government cannot waste time and resources to readvertise the position or to make an acting appointment rather than making a substantive appointment,” one senior officer said.
He said all processes had
been completed and the appointment should proceed immediately. 
The Chief Secretary’s office could not be reached for comment.