There should be no compensation demands for road developments, urges Local Member for Yangoru-Saussia District and Minister for Trade, Commerce & Industry, Richard Maru.
Minister Maru said this when he officiated at a ground breaking ceremony for two new roads in his district last week.
The roads include Negrie to Tangori Road, which will be constructed at a cost of K800,000, and Negrie to Baimuru Road, to be constructed at a cost of K350,000.
Minister Maru said work on six other roads are currently in progress and in the next few weeks, the district will be issuing contracts for another three more roads.
The Minister urged his people to look after these roads and embrace development, saying for over 40 years people have suffered from having no access to basic services because of no roads.
“With these road links, villagers can now bring their garden produce to the market to sell, bring the sick to the nearest aid post and travel to Wewak town to do shopping, unlike before where they walk miles to either go the market, aid posts or schools and to the main highway to catch a PMV to travel to Wewak town.
“Schools can also be built in the most remote areas but will still have access to all the basic services. Teachers will also be happy to teach in these remote schools because of road access.
“Many of our villages have not seen a road for the last 40 years especially those in the Sepik Plains and those up in the Mountain ranges (Prince Alexander Range) of the District,” said Minister Maru.
“It’s not easy building roads up on the mountains with vast terrains, risky slopes and high mountains but so far we’ve done well.
“If we achieve our target to connect all the villages from the Mountain ranges to the plains by the end of this term of Parliament, then it will all go down in the history of the District.
“The Minister thanked the chief executive officer of the district and his team as well as the Department of Works in East Sepik Province for their efforts in ensuring that roads are constructed at a given time frame.”