Nothing to shout about in NIP

 I REFER to the letter “Come home to see changes” (The National, July 8) by “NIP crusader” who was defending the Chans’ failures.

Sir Julius Chan was MP for Namatanai before some of us were born and his son, Byron, continues to represent the people of that electorate for nine years now.

Both of them must be wearing very dark glasses when they drive through Namatanai or when flying over in helicopters. 

They fail to see what Maris Tagu (The National, July 5) saw and what we, the people of Namatanai, are seeing. 

It is all right to boast of new schools and the increase of students’ intake. 

But where do these poor students go after Grades 8, 10 and 12? 

The province is unable to provide for the bulk of the young people entering the workforce.

Moreover, the governor’s free education policy now leaves New Ireland at number 17 in terms of academic excellence among the other provinces. 

In a group of 20 provinces, does the writer realise that this is the bottom quarter?

The Malagan Declaration remains an empty document after the death of its draftsman, Dr Sition Gion.

We are now on the eve of another general election and the consultants and their fish canneries and other development pro­jects remain pipe-dreams.

The national government does not owe New Ireland K400 million from Lihir – it’s time to get real. 

The government paid K19.7 million earlier and another K22 million last year. 

Where did the K42 million go?

The outstanding ba­lance is less than K100 million.

I don’t need to visit New Ireland. I live in Kavieng.

Karam Lapangkus

Kavieng