Morobe province

Farmers are forced to carry bags of coffee and walk for days to reach the nearest road and with coffee being a perishable product, the beans rot within a few days, resulting in wasted effort and time.

Local MP, Solen Loifa, urged the provincial government to hear their plea and build roads and bridges to connect Menyamya to Lae.

“Kofi blo mipla stil sting yet lo maunten na bus stap,” said Loifa. (Our coffee is rotting on the mountain and in bushes.)

Morobe Governor, Luther Wenge, said this when presenting the K645 million 2023 budget yesterday at Tutumang Haus.

“Subject to finding out whether it’s a true claim or false claim, this budget will provide K30 million to slowly, slowly, settle the debts,” he said, referring to claims of outstanding services by service providers and individuals.

“And then K5 million, we put aside to help the preachers,” he stated.

“The preachers of the gospel, they will preach the gospel in the temple, in the cathedral, in the church, on the streets. We have to support the preachers.

Morobe Governor Luther Wenge reemphasised that only claims that have been verified to be authentic will be settled, while bogus ones will be handed over to police to deal with.

“I will put it in the budget,” said Governor Luther Wenge.

“When the budget is passed, everybody can come and check through.

“Yu laik kam giamanim loya, loya bai putim yu lo Buimo.”

Since last year, hundreds of people have been gathering at Tutumang to submit their claims, most of which are from the campaign period.

“Ol bai baim displa skul fi go lo akaunt blo ol displa skuls,” he said. (They will deposit the fees in the respective schools’ accounts.)

“Nesenol Gavman em committed lo mekim, na ol stat peim K300 million go pinis. (The National Government has made the commitment, and has already started by paying K300 million.)

“Ol board of management tasol mas sekim akaunt blo ol lo make sure displa mani kam insait o nogat. (Schools’ board of management need to check their accounts to confirm whether the money is there.)

This time, it was at the Bart Philemon Drive, which was formerly known as Mangola Street; the road link between Top Town and Main Market.

The four-lane road is 400 metres long and cost Lae City K10 million.

When commending contractor, JV PNG Investment, Morobe Governor, Songang Luther Wenge, said he introduced the idea of cement roads back in 2003 amidst much skepticism.

In 2011, Wenge commissioned the first concrete road in Lae city, which was the Huon Road.

Provincial program advisor for education, Keith Tangui, said this directive covers elementary to secondary schools.

Late last year, he announced that all schools that come under the education department will not be charging school fees, while project fees can be collected, as per the provincial education board’s decision.

However, that decision has been amended following a directive from the Education Secretary, Dr Uke Kombra, this morning.

The first phase of eviction was conducted on December 18^th last year after an eight-month grace period, extended by the Court and Church, lapsed.

Two foreign-owned shops were pulled down to show stubborn settlers that the church was determined to clear the land.

ELCPNG General Secretary, Bernard Kaisom, said they halted the process during the Christmas period to give more time to settlers to pull down their structures, as well as observe the festive period.

On Saturday, January 14^th, the second and final eviction process resumed.

During the Parliament sitting on Tuesday 10 January 2023, Governor Wenge made this announcement when thanking the government for providing K150 million for the land expansion program to be carried out by the Department of Lands & Physical Planning.

“We are considering moving the capital of Lae city, capital of Morobe, in the city of Lae to Nadzap.

“We are going to make that announcement very shortly,” said the Governor.

Governor Wenge expressed that before the move can happen, purchase of land by the government from traditional landowners needs to take place.

Governor Wenge states that the land area from Lae City to Water Rais and Ramu in Madang Province, sits on a bed of water.

“It doesn’t matter how much to whatever degree that we try to patch the road or extend the road, there will always be potholes.

“I want us to make history in this country, and I want to propose to you Prime Minster, can we begin to construct a railway on posts,” said Governor Wenge.

I am from Widuru, in the Labuta Rural LLG of Nawaeb district, Morobe Province.

My grandmother is from Widuru. She went to what was traditionally known as Bukim, while people these days call it Buingim. You go past Busurum, Ee’c and then there’s Bukim.

My interest in snakes began in 1988 after I researched on a 100-year-old story of how our ancestors charmed a python and it stayed in a haus man. This happened before the early missionaries came.

This special python was a messenger.