Waria leaders want MPs to keep Gaiwata

By GABRIEL LAHOC
A GROUP of community leaders from the Waria local level government area travelled into Lae on Wednesday to lobby for the retention of Waria LLG president Morokoi Gaiwata as deputy governor.
They, in fact, made a strong appeal to Morobe governor Kelly Naru and Bulolo MP Sam Basil to support and retain Gaiwata.
The Morobe provincial assembly will today have the swearing-in ceremony of the 10 national MPs, including  Naru.
The Waria leaders’ appeal follows rumours in the provincial government that there will be changes to the provincial executive council, including the position of the deputy governor held by Gaiwata.
Francis Waim of the the Waria rural communities said the people of Waria trusted and mandated Gaiwata because he had served the people well as their LLG president and in his capacity as the deputy governor.
He said despite having three candidates from Waria contesting the Bulolo open seat this year, they voted overwhelmingly for Basil, as well as Naru who was up against three other regional seat candidates from Bulolo.
“The idea of changing him as the deputy governor has not gone down well with the people of Waria who voted for Basil and Naru. We now want these two leaders to discourage any plot against Gaiwata and support him in delivering services into Waria,” Waim said.
“Any plot against mandated leaders within the provincial assembly is only from a few leaders.”