Deputy Leader of People’s National Congress Party Mao Zeming said all Morobe Members of Parliament were happy with what the government of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill had done for the province so far and wanted the momentum of development to continue.
Mr Zeming described a news article in the Post Courier (pp3 Friday Oct 16, 2015) headlined “Morobe Bloc” as speculative hot-air by Governor Kelly Naru.
In the article, Governor Naru wants to form a Morobe Bloc to bid for the Prime Minister’s post and claims Speaker Theo Zurenuoc and other MPs Ross Seymour, Loujaya Kouza, Gisuwat Siniwin and Bob Dadae as part of the group.
Mr Zeming spoke to the MPs named independently and saidcthey rejected the bloc claim by Governor Naru.
“There are six of us in government and we are happy here. We are not going to a so called bloc that governor Naru is talking about. We represent the people of Morobe. The Morobe people have a history of assessing, and voting for leaders along party lines and the policies they stand for.
“The people do not support blocs that pop from nowhere. What is being proposed by Governor Naru is not what we do in Morobe province,” Mr Zeming, who is Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister, said.
“We were elected on party lines based on the policies we campaigned on. The development projects being implemented in Morobe are exactly what we said we would do when in government. We are happy and cannot ask for too much because other provinces have to get their share too,” he said.
He said under the O’Neill/Dion Government the following projects had been completed or were underway;
# Upgrade of Lae City roads using asphalt;
# Renovations to the Angau Hospital;
# Launch of Morobe Coastal Shipping to replace Lutheran Shipping;
# Completion of Phase One of Lae Port Redevelopment and start of Phase Two;
# Upgrade of Lae – Nadzab Road;
# Proposed upgrade of Nadzab Airport;
# Construction of New Angau Hospital by Australian Government;
# Setting up of Lae City Authority to improve municipal service delivery in city;
# Dredging and upgrade of Voco Point for smaller coastal vessels;
# Commissioning of new gas turbine to lift power generation in Lae city.
Mr Zeming said in one term of Parliament there was much more going for the people and Morobe than at any other time in the history of PNG.
“The people of Morobe in Lae, Rebafu, Sialum, Finchaffen, Kabwun, and many other areas are seeing development and change taking place with the K10 million allocated to districts each year.
“Why would we want to form a bloc? We are happy and will continue to support Prime Minister O’Neill and be part of his government.
“If Governor Naru or anyone else want to be Prime Minister, you have that opportunity in 2017. Form a party, not a bloc, and go to the people for the mandate to lead.
“Our government stands on its record of delivery, and we are firmly united behind Prime Minister O’Neill. We will face the people in 2017 on our record, not rhetoric,” Mr Zeming concluded.