Thank you Yama

Letters

THANK you Madang Governor Peter Yama for clearing the air relating to the Manam restoration funding as per reported in the media.
The governor and the administrator say there is no specific fund parked for the MRA exercise.
Now the question is how can the newly appointed MRA board carry out their exercise without funding?
MRA chairman Ken Fairweather has come clear to say the restoration authority stopped all major work on the resettlement operation because there was no money and has questioned if both the national government and Madang provincial government are serious about the Manam resettlement.
The Manam people say they are already tired of living in care centres, fighting with locals and wants to have their own land so they can freely do gardening, fishing or hunting and now we release that there is no specific funding for the restoration exercise.
The current ethnic clashes and bloodshed between the Bunabun locals and the Manam Islanders is something not to be taken lightly anymore and how long will we go on fighting and killing each other.
Am I going to see my fellow Manam islander or Bunabun local as my enemy or my district men?
If Ramu Development Fund is branded as an animal created by the past authority than why did the precious K6 million parked into RDC and if RDF/ RDC have used the fund for any works on the resettlement exercise than reports must be published for public consumption or if the fund is still intact, please recall the fund immediately and give to MRA for use.
We appeal to our mandated provincial and district leaders to push harder and get all the proposed funding for the Manam restoration.
We have been promised of K20 million by the national government, K6 million by the provincial government, K3 million by our prime minister for the resettlement exercise so my dear leaders please push harder to get these funds for the MRA resettlement.
Going forward, should there be any more other plans or funding for the Manam restoration by the local, provincial or national government it must be handle carefully to prevent unnecessary delays.
We share tears with the victims of both the Bunabun locals and Manam Islanders and let this clashes be the last and final as we pray for peace and comfort in this time of trouble.

Jerry Ambali (BPN)