Stop giving praise, compare services

IT was good to read in the Weekender of The National last Friday that Paul Minga is back in Northern after 25 years.
I am a former president of Higaturu local level government (2008-2013).
I am married to a woman from Western Highlands and Jiwaka for 29 years.
As a true Orokaivan and a leader, I welcome you to Northern.
While you were here in 1995 as a student, I was roaming the jungles of Bougainville.
But prior to that, I was based at the Togoba Nursing School, currently Togoba High School in Mt Hagen, with my third platoon of the alpha company, Second Royal Pacific Island Regiment (2RPIR) that is based at Moem Barracks in Wewak, East Sepik.
I was there on a call-out for a six-month curfew operation and met my wife there in 1991.
We married in 1992.
While based at Mt Hagen, we covered the entire Highlands provinces as and when there were operational tasks.
My last visit to Mt Hagen was in 2019.
But when I was there in 2017, the Kapal Haus – the province’s seat of power – was being rebuilt by an Indian construction company.
You know what it is now.
When I was there in 2019, a four-lane road from the Kagamuga International Airport to Keltiga was being built by a Chinese company.
Mt Hagen, and indeed all the highlands towns and provinces, have remarkably transformed over the last 25 years and many of their people are multi-millionaires now because of the level of government services, including the level of their provinces’ economy and their education systems after 45 years of independence.
Minga, compare that to Northern now.
You failed to mention that the college you attended closed down during Northern Governor Juffa’s term about 9 years ago, due to negligence and the Oro administration buildings that were built after the eruption of Mt Lamington in 1952 remain the same when it should have been declared unfit for human habitation and closed down some 25 years ago.
Maybe you intentionally avoided the crater-like potholes at the Kikiri bus stop.
The Orokaiva Market you mentioned was built by the Chinese, the owners of the HQH shopping complex.
They wanted to collect the market gate takings but a dispute arose with the landowners therefore the market has remained unused for almost two years now.
The buildings in town are Chinese shops.
They are not owned by the people of Northern, through their business arm, which Juffa announced would be formed.
If he had already registered that business arm, we don’t know who the directors are or what they do.
Please enjoy your stay here and go back safely but don’t promote Juffa for your own reason close to next year’s national elections because we have suffered painfully for nine years under his deceitful and selfish leadership.
We don’t need him anymore.

Charles Jasari,
Handarituru Village