Officials visiting Manam island

A TEAM of officials from the National Disaster Office, including Defence Force personnel, visited Manam Island yesterday to compile a situation report on the volcanic activities there.
The Manam volcano erupted again last Friday, spewing scoria which was floating almost a kilometre away from the coast.
Madang disaster and emergency acting director Rudolf Mongallee said they visited Yassa, Kuluguma, Boda, Baliau and Dangale to assess the damage.
Mongallee said the provincial disaster office did not have funds to respond to the disaster but said the Government was purposely on the ground to assess and assist. Madang Governor Peter Yama made a call in parliament yesterday for the Government which had committed K5 million for West New Britain volcano at Mt Uluwan to also make a similar commitment for Manam.
Yama said former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill made a commitment last September when he visited the Manam people at the Zogari village temporary care centre on Manam to allocate K3 million for relief supplies.
But the funds had not come through.
Yama said it was a nature’s call when both volcanoes erupted almost at the same time and the same kind of attention should have beeen given to Uluwan and Manam.
Meanwhile, Manam leaders Kenny Boli and Paul Maburau said Manam people needed food and shelter.
“We need tents to cover our house roofs,” Boli said.
“The roofs of our houses were ripped open by the huge scoria from the volcano,’ he said.
Madang acting administrator Joseph Bonomane said the administration had not forgotten the Manam people but would try to meet their needs.
Bonomane was out of the province on an official duty said he would attend to the situation once he set foot in the province.