Roads vital to development in Morobe: Saonu

ROADS are important to the development of Morobe and should be a priority in the coming years, Governor Ginson Saonu says.
He said there were five major road projects that the provincial government should work towards achieving in the next 30 years.
“These are the Lae-Finschhafen-Wasu-Ronji Highway, Lae-Erap-Teptep Highway, Lae-40-Mile-Menyamya Highway, Wau-Garaina-Morobe Highway and Lae-Salamaua-Morobe Highway. The Siassi Ring Road was important as well,” he said.
Saonu was speaking during his first official duty for the year in the Hobu village, Nawaeb, last Thursday.
“When there are good roads, government services can reach the people. We are not gods that we will do miracles, we need the support of the people to say yes to development,” he said.
“We need to work with landowners who will give land for development services. People must also change their mindsets and be ready to accept development and change that will happen.”
“Some districts in Morobe will have to receive development services first than others because Morobe is a big province.”
Saonu witnessed Nawaeb MP Kennedy Wenge giving roofing iron, plywood, timber, nails, bags of cement, saws, hammers and bush knives to 28 families, who were victims of a police raid in June.
“Two highways are in Nawaeb, the Lae-Finschhafen-Wasu-Ronji Highway and the Lae-Erap-Teptep Highway,” he said.
“We need people in this district to support and cooperate with the government to have the roads constructed. People in Nawaeb must be ready to work with government officials to make these two projects happen.”
Saonu said the projects would take a long time to implement, and should be continued regardless of change in political power.
“This is the very reason why the Morobe government made a 30-year development plan, the Kundu Vision 2048. We are the first province to have a 30 -year plan,” he said.