Kavieng MP protests new buildings

While the recent Kavieng event boasted a large entourage of Government ministers, a particular leader’s lack of appearance did not go unnoticed.

The Kavieng MP and Finance and Treasury Shadow Minister, Ian Ling-Stuckey, was nowhere to be seen when a delegation of Government ministers, including New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, were received with much fanfare on Friday (March 16).

When contacted, Ling-Stuckey told this newsroom that he did not accept his invitation in protest of the wrongful priorities of the governor.

“The provincial government under Chan has completely lost touch with grassroots’ needs and confused its priorities,” stated the local MP.

“The recent opening of two, not one, Governor’s residence in Kavieng and Namatanai, disguised as VIP residences, represent Julius Chan’s priorities.”

Ling-Stuckey outlined that the Kavieng Hospital requires urgent maintenance works due to its aging structures, Namatanai Hospital is still without a qualified doctor while Kavieng town roads are described as the pothole capital of the New Guinea Islands region.

Furthermore, the MP says tuition fee free handouts are failing to reach their target schools, with most high schools still owed TFF funds from 2017.

“Governor Chan boasts about his K6.5 million homes in New Ireland, completely ignoring the pain and suffering of his people and even inviting national leaders of our country to celebrate and wine, dine, sing and dance to honour his legacy – a building so much in conflict with the architectural forms of New Ireland and even PNG – a home copied and built straight out of Mississippi State in the US.

“It is disgusting as it is offensive to my people in Kavieng,” said Ling-Stuckey.

Meantime, Sir Julius told Loop PNG: “Everything in New Ireland now is done for tomorrow so that the future generation will not be handicapped by our ignorant vision.

“We try to look beyond our time and anything we do is for the future generation.”

Author: 
Carmella Gware