The people of Hoskins West New Britain Province, have petitioned their local leaders over the deteriorating road conditions.
The people were led by Constantine Sesega in a convoy of more than 10 trucks, to the provincial government headquarters today.
They presented their petition to Provincial Administrator Williamson Hosea, demanding for the full reconstruction, rehabilitation and fixing of the poor conditions of the Hoskins-Koimumu ring road, particularly the Makasili-Galilo section.
In their petition to Talasea MP Francis Maneke and Governor Sasindran Muthuvel, they expressed the pain and hardship felt by the people in the Hoskins constituency, especially those in wards 7, 8 and 9, who use this road to access services. The ring road is being subject to ongoing climate change effects.
The petition read, “Governor and Local MP, we the people of Hoskins LLG simply wonder whether or not anyone of you, together or individually had done constituency rounds in your mandate jurisdictions in the Hoskins area.”
“We the people there have long been suffering due to bad road conditions. Our sick and lame are not getting to hospital in Kimbe on time to save their lives.
“Mothers experiencing labor cannot reach hospital in time. The people’s cash crops are left to deteriorate since this road is the only main highway used by our people to transport their produce to town.
“From Hoskins and Kimbe, you will not reach Galilo and Makasili. Villages of Vavua to Koimumu are completely cut off too.
“A whole section of the road has been captured by the sea to the extent that it is no longer there. Desperate villagers and road users are improvising, driving into sections of the road that was once covered by the bush.
“Their frustration from lack of government attention has been represented by damning photographs circulating the social media.”
The people are giving the MPs a period of two (2) months to respond favorably to their petition.
They would like the matter addressed before the issue of writs for the 2022 National General Election.