The death of Anderson Pawa Agiru – the shining star of Hela - was in deed a moment words cannot describe in the short history of Papua New Guinea politics.
Loop PNG’s Political and Business Editor FREDDY MOU reports on events after his death at the PIH. This is part two of a four-part series.
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 men, women, children and politicians turned up at the Sir John Guise Stadium to pay their final respects to the late Hela governor.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Minister for Finance James Marape, Governor for Western Ati Wobiro, Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas, Komo-Margarima MP Francis Potape as well as other members of Parliament turned up to pay their respects and mourn the passing of the Late Governor Agiru.
Founding father of the nation and Governor for East Sepik Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare on May 2, 2016, expressed great sadness at the passing of late Agiru.
Sir Michael said: “I came to know the late Governor Anderson Agiru in 1997 when he first entered parliament and worked closely with him after his re-election in 2007.
“He joined the new generation of leaders that entered politics at the time and was part of my coalition government until 2011.”
Sir Michael said they (Agiru and Sir Michael) worked well together to ensure Hela became a province and prior to that the delivery of the PNG LNG project.
“He thus shall always be remembered for his contributions to Papua New Guinea's newly found economic prosperity and progress through the birth of LNG and the commercialisation of our vast gas resource.
Sir Michael further added that late Agiru had inspired a new generation of younger Papua New Guinean leaders to challenge the established norms of complacency and dared to believe that we could in fact compete with the rest of the world to bring about something quite extraordinary and special in a developing economy.
The death of the great leader had brought the host province of the PNG LNG project into different directions in terms of their landowner equity and other outstanding commitments from the government.
They called on the Government to honour its commitment before sending the body of their Governor for burial.
Chairman of the Organising Committee and Koroba MP Philip Undialu said late Agiru’s funeral program was deferred to the following week because the people wanted the government to look into some of their commitments.
The issues raised include;
- The 4.27 % Equity;
- Funding for Nipa -Tari road sealing (Contract awarded)
- Funding for Halimbu - Nogoli road sealing (Contract awarded);
- Funding for Nogoli - Komo road sealing (contact awarded);
- Halimbu - Koroba - Kelabo Rd sealing (Tender process not complete);
- Hela Headquarters Building (contract awarded and under construction); and
- Tari Hospital.
However, the elected Members of Parliament from Hela and Southern Highlands Province have taken note of the issues raised by the people of Hela following the death of the Late Governor Anderson Agiru.
The MPs are Peter O’Neill (Prime Minister / Ilalibu-Pangia), James Marape (Minister for Finance / Tari-Pori), Francis Awesa (Minister for Works and Implementation / Imbonggu Open), De Kewanu (Vice Minister for Works / Member for Mendi Open), William Powi (Governor for Southern Highlands Province), Jeffery Komal (Nipa-Kutubu Open), Francis Potape (Komo-Margarima Open), James Lagea (Kagua-Erave Open) and Philip Undialu (Koropa-Lake Kopiago).
Part Three: Hela and SHP MPs promise to deliver projects left by late Agiru
