WITNESS

Eastern Highlands’ Okapa Road is, again, inaccessible. Locals say district, provincial and national leaders have conned them. Waisa villager Stanley Tarpei, of south Foreh near Ivingoi, told The National: “Our health centre and schools need this road. When it rains, it is impassable. Four-wheel-drive vehicles would probably make it. We are going backwards. We produce a lot of coffee, which contributes towards the K400 million worth of coffee coming out of Okapa to Goroka. We have not been selling any more coffee since last year due to the bad road.” In The National last Oct 10, Works and the Highways Minister Solan Mirisim told Parliament that K10 million had been allocated in the Connect PNG programme for the Okapa Road. “This is an existing road and I want it sealed,” he said. – Pictures supplied