Local people victims of political bungling

 ALLOW me to comment on the news stories regarding the looting of relief supplies for the Erave district in Southern Highlands.

It is always disgusting to read and hear the so called project coordinators, disaster relief committees and other government agencies using the ‘Erave’ name to pursue personal agendas’ that would never benefit the bulk of the Erave population.

It is always the same when newspaper headlines hits the front page when reporting any news articles involving law and order issues in the Kagua-Erave district. The reputation of the peace loving Erave people are degraded and shattered when reporting any cowardice and animalistic character including armed hold ups, murder and rape that hardly involves the unique peace loving and law abiding  Erave people of the “last Papua”.

At this juncture, let me correct here that the robbed relief food supplies by few hooligan’s along the Kagua section of the highway were not intended for the Erave people as reported. In fact, the food container was bound to an unknown destination to feed the political supporters of a  particular MP from another district of Southern Highlands.

From records, any relief supplies of such magnitude or service orientated projects initiated or funded through political affiliation as such or through any provincial or national government had never reached the entire bulk of Erave population in the past few decades.

The reality is that about 95% of Erave population lives in  very isolated locations inaccessible by road, let along the relief supplies delivered through helicopter charters. However, in the past,  the Erave people had benefited greatly from relief supplies coordinated by Oil Search (PNG) Ltd using its own helicopters throughout the length and breath of the Erave district.

Frankly, Erave people are naturally hard working people, blessed with untouched pristine forest where people work the land to feed and live on. The pristine forest with fresh water from the blue mountains provides everything they need in life. The forest becomes their biggest natural shopping mall and pharmacy where they visit regularly when they need food and medicine. The Erave people called themselves back-page but not let down in everything they need in life. God had created them for a purpose and are always thankful to God for his divine intervention where God has been their Governor, their elected member and  their prime minister  for providing all necessities required in life despite the geographical no go zones,  where men on earth finds it hard to break through and deliver earthly needs & wants.

Currently, Erave people are resorting to sago during this festive continuous dry spell. 

They have nothing to lose or gain because Erave’s are the forgotten people by the past and present government alike, in terms of service delivery like roads, health and education.

For any leader to facilitated and distribute edible goods in this time of  desperate need is something that the Erave people cannot anticipate to receive in their entire life.

They don’t even know the existence of Erave district administrator or the so-called Erave project coordinator  and the type of work they do at the district level as agents of the government, let along the school teachers and health workers.

It seems that people are running to the media to gain publicity to attract public attention and beg for more supplementary funding thereafter with the use of unpopular district names like Erave. 

Ken Nandawa, Via email