Thank you, Sir Michael

SOUTHERN Highlands and Hela were the last frontiers for the white man to explore during and after WWII.
An expedition team led by the famous Leahy and Taylor brothers trekked Bulolo in Morobe, Eastern Highlands and ended in Jiwaka, Western Highlands, parts of Enga, Hela and Southern Highlands.
They explored the region to introduce coffee and other cash crops besides searching for mineral deposits and to bring in civilization. They discovered that the people of Southern Highlands (including Hela) were hardworking.
They were the second lot of people after the Chimbu people to be recruited after WWII to work in copra, cocoa and rubber plantations in the coastal regions of Papua New Guinea. Today, Southern Highlands and Hela are proud to have produced two prime ministers, one governor-general, two Opposition leaders, two deputy prime ministers, two deputy speakers and senior cabinet ministers, government department heads and heads of statutory bodies and State-owned enterprises.
The Southern Highlands and Hela people had shown their last respects for a great leader, who brought light to our communities in our darkest era, to save and protect us and our resources and nation and show the way forward for us to be educated, self-reliant and one day become independent and millionaires in our own land rather than becoming plantation labourers forever.
We, therefore, pay tribute and say thank you to the father of our great nation the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare for grooming our pioneer leaders under the Pangu Pati in the likes of late Sir Matiabe Yuwi, late Andrew Wabiria, Sir Yano Belo, late Francis Pusal, Pundia Kange, Philemon Embel, Soso Tomu, Daniel Tulapi and Mathew Yago.
We honour him for promoting national unity to appoint many of our sons to become department heads and ambassadors of Papua New Guinea.
Today, we have Prime Minister James Marape, under the Pangu Pati, a political party that the Grand Chief formed to gain Independence for us.
Southern Highlands and Hela gave about K7 million during Sir Michael’s haus krai, which is a true Melanesian way of appreciating what he has done for us.
Farewell Grand Chief, you were truly sent by God.
It was in your doing that we are what we are today.

Steven Supi Palisa