Numu’s move labelled childish

The National Letters

Eastern Highlands Governor Peter Numu’s move to the Opposition is entirely his own childish attempt. It does not in any way represent the people of province.
The young governor has just dug his own grave so just forget about him. I want to encourage the eight open MPs of the province to support Peter O’Neill in the looming vote of no-confidence.
Despite the economic situation, O’Neill’s Government has done enough to support him.
For instance, the redevelopment of Goroka Airport, University of Goroka, Goroka Hospital, Goroka Market, the commitment to build a stadium and many other infrastructure developments.
I do not see any logic in the good governor’s defection.
Open MPs, my appeal to you all is to remain with the Government and vote for it.
The Opposition does not have the numbers and will not succeed in the looming vote.
To the Government, just because of the Governor’s foolish and childish move, don’t withdraw or withhold any commitments made to Eastern Highlands in terms of infrastructure development and service provisions

Notuguka Gipa

  • EASTER Highlands Governor Peter Numu is saluted by us, his majority voters.
    He is an old brain on young shoulders and has bravely done what political veterans have shied away from.
    It is within his right as the leader mandated by Eastern Highlanders to fight for coffee – which underpins our lives.
    Eastern Highlands depends primarily on coffee.
    When our governor is fighting for coffee growers and coffee industry, he will always be our champion in spite of what Deputy Prime Minister Charles Abel says.
    No amount of money and word-smithing will impede our governor from maintaining and retaining his rightful place in Parliament, come hell or high water.
    We know who the financiers of Goroka Market, Goroka Hospital, Goroka Airport and National Sports stadium are.
    Desperate verbal gymnastics and publicity stunts no longer fool us. Chest-beating about projects that are funded by others is shameless and belittles our peoples’ intelligence.
    With regard to the Highlands Highway, what happened to the
    K6 billion foreign loan that was drawn down after the writs for the 2017 election were issued?
    This was front page news in The National. No rehabilitation of the Highlands Highway has occurred to date, bar the Lae-Bulolo Junction segment.
    Now, the blanket has been thrown over our heads again and foreign loans have been secured to “fix” the same highway.
    Interestingly, the cost per kilometre is not consistent across PNG and deviates significantly from Works Department, World Bank and Asian Development Bank rates. The 8km Lae-Bulolo Junction four-lane section was built at a total cost of K238 million.
    This reduces to an equivalent cost for two-lane roads of K14.875 million/km compared to the standard of K2.5 million/km (Inaugural CIMC presentation, March 2018). This is 600 per cent more exorbitant and underscores the corruption that is rife.
    The engineer who reported this was reprimanded for telling the truth.
    You do the maths for the segments published recently for the Highway and you get the drift quickly.
    If the Lae-Bulolo Junction built section was included in the current costing and contract documentation, who pockets the money?
    The bells ring.
    Where is the revenue from coffee, cocoa, copra, tuna, vanilla, rubber, gold, copper, nickel, silver, LNG, timber, etc?
    Why is PNG in a loan spiral?
    These loans plus interest will take years to repay.
    We question why such a burden is placed on us, our children and unborn children to sustain the luxury lifestyles of the privileged few.
    The Government has incurred over K7000 debt for each man, woman and child in PNG [(total loans + interest)/total population].
    National key performance Indicators on good governance, corruption, education, health (HIV/AIDS, infant mortality, maternal mortality, TB), political fidelity, human development index, population growth, equitable distribution of wealth, Kina strength, etc, are wanting.
    Governor Numu’s move will contribute to arresting this irresponsible trend.
    Sir Mekere will ensure that the foreign loan vortex ceases.
    The people want a fit-and-proper Government.
    Many MPs professed campaign policies on good governance, fighting corruption and reducing the loan burden on the rural majority.
    Your voters will be watching where you stand in the vote-of-no-confidence.
    Can you be trusted as conscientious men-of-honour to abide by your campaign platforms?
    How you bat in the VoNC will tell your voters who you really are behind the mask, and also whether you are in Parliament for yourself or for them.

Dr AH Harakuwe, PhD