Wenge unites Hube tribes

By JACINTA COHLEE
MOROBE Governor Luther Wenge united two tribes in Hube, Finschhafen, who were involved in a fight in 2014 that resulted in three deaths and properties damaged.
The fighting occurred over Palai Memorial Primary School, originally established in Gena village, but due to fighting between Gena and Naiylo villages, the school was closed.
The school served several villages around the local level government, so when it closed, many students were sent home and this prompted the Gaieng community to move the school to their village.
They took the school’s registration number and moved it to Gaieng, but it did not settle well with the Gena villagers. They retaliated and killed a Gaieng youth.
This led to the fighting between Gena and Gaieng, three people were killed, and the fight did slow down, but the villagers still saw each other as enemies for eight years.
The youths surrendered their weapons in front of Wenge and promised to refrain from fighting.
Wenge presented K2,500 each to both parties and told them to cease fighting and work together a to develop their area.
“You are surrendering, shows that you are not going to continue the fight,” he told the people.
“You want peace because you have realised that no proper government service is reaching your area, therefore, cease fighting and talk about development.
“Government services will only come into your area if you take the lead in the development.”
Wenge emphasised that education would bring prosperity to the province.
“Now that peace has been established, I would like every child to go back to school,” he said.
“Morobe will have future elites through education alone and not tribal and ethnic clashes.”
He then committed a classroom building to Gena and one to Gaieng Primary School and urged ward councillors and presidents to work together with the provincial government and administration for the sake of development.