President commends govt for LLG funds

 By JOHN PANGKATANA

WAPENAMANDA local level government council president Nick Andake has thanked the national government for allocating K500,000 to all LLGs.

Andake, who has been nominated to defend his seat for the third consecutive term, said this was one area that was never recognised by previous governments.

“I give full marks to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his government for their forthrightness in seeing the importance of governance in the third level of government,” he said.

Andake further said in previous elections of the LLG president, the  governors were involved in making all PEC decisions and using the system to hire and fire.

“Now that people vote us in, we have equal power to balance them out. It was like a one-man decision, passing the provincial budget with their shopping list,” he said.

“We will have the mandate by the people, so we will debate and make sure allocations are done properly, and not to one or two favourite districts as has been the case for so long.”

He also said governors would have to respect them from now on and be fair.

Andake said they were an independent body not subjected to the provincial government or governors.

“The law is there and it’s very clear. People have to follow the system.”