Not the time to play politics

I AM a Jiwakan and I am thankful to Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and Members of Parliament for giving us a province of our own. 
However, what bothers me is that there is a heavy political undertone as to who should get the credit. 
The president of NA seems to hold himself out to the Jiwaka people as being solely responsible for this new province. 
No doubt he had some input given his capacity as NA president, however, he is not solely responsible for the creation of Jiwaka province. 
It has been a dream of every Jiwakan and a few took it up as a cause as early as the 1970s.
The likes of late Sir Thomas Kavali, the former Member for North Waghi Michael Mas who put down K100,000 when nobody had faith in the working committee of Jiwaka province. 
People like Nick Kuman and Paul Talu showed total commitment and sacrificed their families to work fulltime with no pay for which all current and future generations of Jiwakans will be forever grateful.
There are countless Jiwakans, including other Papua New Guineans, who helped in their own way to make this dream come true.
We should also never forget both Government and Opposition MPs of this Parliament who voted for the bill.
In respect to the 2012 election, every eligible Jiwakan, including the NA president, is welcomed to contest and the people will be the judge through the ballot papers. 
However, trying to gain political mileage out of the creation of Jiwaka province is tantamount to fraud.  
Jiwakans have been suffering for a long time and it is not the time to play politics. 
All Jiwakans with political aspirations should be mindful of the sufferings our people endured all these years and the time to play politics is in 2012.

Nolan Kom
Kondwill village, WHP