LLG president questions entitlements

By GIBSON TORASO
UPNG journalism student
A LOCAL level government council president from Jiwaka has questioned when the national government will pay their entitlements.
Banz local level government president Dorum Mek said for the past two years they had been excluded from the provincial assembly.
Mek said they had been expelled by the national government following a national court decision that governors appointed council presidents.
 He said that after a long appeal battle, the national court reinstated the councillors in 2010, ruling they should be included in provincial assembly meetings.
He claimed that since they had been reinstated, they had not been paid their entitlements.
He said they were still waiting to hear from the relevant authorities on who was responsible in this matter.
“Now the national government is making payments to former provincial government members around the country.
What about the council members and when will we get our back-dated entitlements?” he asked.
He said the national and the provincial governments must recognise them and give what rightfully belonged to them.
He said the councillors were at the ground level and for the government to function effectively, they must be treated fairly.