Morauta: Govt must partner with church

By JULIA DAIA BORE
THE government must work in partnership with the churches to bring about integral human development and advancement for its people, former opposition leader and Moresby Northwest MP Sir Mekere Morauta said on Sunday.
Speaking at the renaming ceremony of the Toaripi language church in Hohola, NCD, to its new name: Sir Bert Brown Memorial church on Sunday, Sir Mekere said the people must have spiritual development “as well as any other material forms of development”.
 “Ask yourselves this question: ‘who is PNG and what is PNG’?”
He answered his own question, saying, that PNG was a living being or person and had the capability to live or to die; Or of getting rich or getting poor. “Because it was made up of people; you and I, who determine our destiny,” he said.
He said for PNG to prosper and to grow politically, economically, as well as spiritually, “the government and the churches must work together in partnership”.
He told his Gulf people of East Kerema, who made up the congregation, that “you have heard our leaders say that our economy is growing at 8% this year; last year it was 6%; and it could be 10% next year.
“That is very good statistics. But you and I don’t eat statistics, or copper or gold or oil … so, the challenge before us is: Are we, as leaders (politically) and in our communities being accountable to ourselves and our people; to provide health and education?”
Sir Mekere said to ensure all that could be achieved, “church and the government had to work side by side”.
Gulf Governor Havila Kavo, who was also there, backed Sir Mekere’s call for both the church and the government to work in partnership.
“When we do, then we will see the blessing (from God),” he said.