PM skips Oro

By MALUM NALU
PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill yesterday cancelled an event he was to officiate in after the programme was taken over before his arrival by the province’s governor.
O’Neill was to have opened the Popondetta General Hospital operating theatre yesterday morning. But he cancelled the trip after he was informed that Northern Governor Gary Juffa, accompanied by Opposition Leader Don Polye, had taken over the programme.
Juffa and Polye had landed in a helicopter at Doreen Park, where the people were waiting, ahead of O’Neill who was scheduled to arrive at 10am.
Ijivitari MP David Arore, who the PNC is fielding to challenge Juffa for the governorship, and Sohe MP Delilah Gore travelled ahead of O’Neill but could only watch as Juffa and Polye took over the event.
The situation was tense but people remained calm.
Popondetta General Hospital acting chief executive officer Dr Petrus Opum led a team to the stage where he told the crowd that O’Neill could not attend the opening.
But he said the theatre would be opened for service.
Polye told the people that he came at the invitation of Juffa as leader of Northern.
He said such projects as the hospital should not be used for one’s political advantage.
“The money is the people’s, the resource is the people’s, the service is the people’s, and the people have elected you anyway,” he said.
Arore said it was a sad day for Northern.
He said the event had been hijacked by the political opponents of the Government.
Arore and Gore had flown in ahead of O’Neill and were awaiting his arrival when Juffa and Polye took control of the stage. “They removed the microphones from the organisers who were left shocked,” Arore said.
“They then took over the stage and demanded answers from the prime minister on all sorts of allegations about things the Government didn’t do for Northern.
“The hospital board and members were stunned as they were waiting for the prime minister.”