Manam

Siaman bilong Manam People’s Sustainable Development (MPSDA) Henry Konaka i tok ol pipel bilong Manam i lukim risain bilong siaman Ken Fairweather olsem gutpela sain bikos long taim bilong em olsem siaman ol pipel bilong Manam i no lukim gutpela senis long risetelmen wok.

“Sori tru olsem Ken Fairweather i bin tok orait long kisim dispela wok bilong siaman wantaim gutpela tingting, tasol ol wok bilong fainens na politik i no bin gutpela long em i skruim wok i go.  

Ol pipel long ples i ting olsem dispela hevi em i kamap bikos i no gat inap kaikai long ailan.  

Wanpela lida bilong ples Kuluguma, Edward Sagem, i tok ol pipel i wok long kisim sampela kain sik olsem ai raun nating, pilim skin guria na pen long bodi. Tasol ol helt wokman na meri long Bieng Helt Senta i no save painim sik malaria na tu, blut bilong ol pipel i orait tasol i no save sot long blut.

Sagem i tok ol pipel i ting olsem dispela ol sik i kamap bikos ol i no save kaikai gutpela kaikai longpela taim nau.   

Manam is the second volcano to have erupted just days after the eruption of Mt Ulawun in West New Britain.

There will be no aircraft overnight in Madang this weekend while PX 112 on Saturday and Sunday will be rescheduled to the following day.

Hoskins aerodrome meanwhile is still closed for airline operations. Air Niugini has retimed and re-routed all Hoskins flights for this weekend via Rabaul and Lae. National Airports Corporation (NAC) has commenced removing the ash from the runway and taxiways but this will take some time.

Naguri said millions were allocated but people have yet see a toea of the funding.

The MP, in Parliament on June 25^th, pleaded with Finance Minister, Charles Abel, to instigate an audit and table a report.

“These monies have been parked in Madang Provincial Treasury and have been squandered, stolen, misappropriated and misapplied by Madang Provincial Administration,” he alleged.

Finance Minister Abel said he will look into the issue.

Madang Governor Peter Yama said so far, the administration is monitoring the situation at Manam closely until the volcano subsides.

Currently the Manam volcano is at stage three.

Yama said business houses in Madang have been very helpful in assisting with relief supplies to the people of Manam.

Yesterday, local company, JV PNG Investment Construction Ltd, presented K24,000 to Governor Yama for the relief supplies.

He will be visiting the island today to get a glimpse of what has transpired.

Madang Governor Peter Yama confirmed today, saying the Madang Provincial Administration was very quick to respond to the eruption.

He added that within 72 hours after the eruption, the government responded swiftly to help evacuate the people of Manam.

“The Government is very helpful and has responded swiftly to the cries of the people of Manam.

“I want to thank Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for such response, which the people of Manam haven’t experienced in the past.”

This follows reports that media personnel were assaulted whilst trying to gather information during the eruption on the weekend.

A frustrated Madang Governor Peter Yama said media personnel were always on the frontline to get information and alert relevant authorities on situations, therefore they must be respected at all times.

He added that the incident involved a minority group from Baluai village and those involved will be dealt with accordingly.

“On behalf of my people of Madang, I am very sorry for what happened to the media personnel on Sunday.

The volcano which dominates the island erupted two weeks ago but the island's residents are yet to receive any aid.

World Vision says at least a thousand Manam Islanders who were living close to the volcano have been evacuated to Bogia on the mainland but several thousand people remain on the island.

The Madang area programme manager Reuben Lulug says his team on the ground has reported back to the head office in Port Moresby but help is yet to arrive.