Leaders want people to elect presidents

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
COMMUNITY leaders in the Nipa district of Southern Highlands want their council president to be elected by the people.
They said this during a gathering at Nipa station last Saturday.
The leaders – John Tatius, Benard John, Jack Galop and Patrick Mepio – said the people must elect their president so that there was equal distribution of funds for development.
They said the current system of councillors electing presidents had resulted in unfair distribution of goods and services.
Tatius said presidents gave more money and resources to those supporting them and other councillors missed out.
“It’s good to do away with the old system of councillors electing their president,” he said.
Tatius said the national government had allocated K500,000 to every local level government in the country.
“This is a big money that will be coming into the LLG and we want to get maximum benefit out of it.”
“In the past, we never saw how the ward grants were used by the councillors.
“This time, proper mechanism must be put in place and money given must be put into good use for the people to be­nefit,” he said.