Sir Pita’s swansong in Maprik

The National Weekender
TRIBUTE
The body of the late Sir Pita Lus leaving Parliament.

By MALUM NALU
VETERAN former Maprik MP and Pangu Pati founder, Sir Pita Lus, had a memorable Independence Day 2021 and 85th birthday celebration with this people of Maprik.
It was the swansong for this beloved East Sepik and Papua New Guinea leader as two weeks later, on Oct 1, 2021, Sir Pita passed on.
The year 2021 will be remembered as the year in which East Sepik and PNG lost two great leaders, Founding Prime Minister Great Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, and then Sir Pita.
Hundreds of people, from both East Sepik and West Sepik, converged on Maprik for the occasion.
Prime Minister James Marape, immediately after the Independence Day flag raising ceremony in Port Moresby, flew to Maprik for the occasion.
He was joined by East Sepik Governor Allan Bird, Maprik MP and Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Simon, and Angoram MP Salio Waipo.
Sir Pita was his usual, jovial self that day, reveling in the celebration of his beloved country’s 46th Independence anniversary with the Prime Minister and his people.
“From where every you have come from, thank you very much,” he told PM Marape, East Sepik leaders and people.
“God will bless you and be with you.
“That is all and I thank you.”
Asked further by the MC what his thoughts were on Independence, Sir Pita said: “I want to tell all of you, from where ever you have come from – whether it be Drekikir, Wosera, Nuku, Lumi, Wewak or wherever – that God will bless you all today.
“All the people here today, where ever you are in this country, God will be with you.”
Sir Pita urged the people to put God first before everything.
“Stop all this fighting, think about God, and think about Papua New Guinea,” he said.
“I got Independence, I got Self-Government for all of you.
“I want you all to live in peace, not to fight each other, not to argue among each other.
“Do you hear me? That is all I want to say to you.”
In retrospect, it was as if Sir Pita knew that he was going, and delivered this message of peace and hope for PNG to his people in front of PM Marape.
On Oct 27, 2021, Sir Pita’s body laid in state in the National Parliament for the last time.
His passing marked the end of a colourful era in PNG political history.
Rest in peace, Sir Pita Lus, and may your memories live on.

  • Malum Nalu works with the Office of the Prime Minister