Xmas turns into sorrow as Nipa Central grieves death of leaders

THIS Christmas was a sad time for the people of Nipa Central when they lost two of their leaders, one is a former administrator of Southern Highlands and another is a Provincial Assembly member.
Former administrator and high school teacher Uhai Iabo died on Christmas Eve while former Provincial Assembly member Lapon Onge died on Saturday night.
Iabo died of stroke and Onge died of a heart problem, said former Nipa/Kutubu district administrator Robin Pip yesterday.
Pip said that the people of Nipa/Kutubu district and the province have lost two great leaders who contributed to the development of the province.
He said that the people of Woala village and Poroma Valley are mourning the death of the two leaders.
He said funeral arrangements are yet to be confirmed.
He said that late Iabo served the people in the province for 38 years as a high school teacher before being appointed provincial administrator from 2002-2004. He was a Nipa/Kutubu distric administrator from 2000-2002.
Pip said that Onge served as a Provincial Assembly member in the 1970s and 1980s and was working as village liaison officer with ExxonMobil when he died.
Onge played a crucial role in ensuring LNG project cargoes passed through Poroma to Nipa into Hela without problems.
“During this mourning period, I want to appeal to the youths not to stand on the road and carry out criminal activities,” he said.
He urged them to respect their leaders and stay away from trouble.