Nipa/Kutubu Electorate in Southern Highlands Province has a booming population of 147,000 people with 40 percent of its total landmass covered with thick forests and swamps is the third largest electorate in the country.
It is five times bigger than Goilala and Rabaul Open electorates, yet all eighty-nine (89) constituencies in the country receive equal disbursement of fund from the national budget every fiscal year.
Many electorates have developed faster than others since they have surplus funds to expand in all sectors, while other districts/electorates face financial constraints due to such malapportionment of population in the country.
For over 46 years after Independence, people of Nipa/Kutubu have felt marginalized due to resources scarcity, geographical complicacy and exponential population boom over time.
All these would never be felt if our founding fathers have foreseen the future population growth and never amalgamated Poroma-Kutubu Electorate with Nipa and Plateau.
It is host to many natural resources and has future discovery potential with abundance natural endowments.
The aggressive push for separate electorate by Kutubu and Bosavi leaders stems from being the host of multimillion extractive industry projects but they must never forget that, before discovery and extraction of Kutubu Petroleum, Poroma was the transit point and an access road that runs through traditional land has never being considered for benefit sharing such as the pipeline landowners.
President of Poroma Local Level Government, Philip Mepem Wena has written to the Electoral Boundaries Commission objecting a submission for a new electorate for Kutubu Bosavi in the Nipa district of Southern Highlands Province.
Mr Wena stated in the letter that the Electoral Boundaries Commission has been gauging views nationwide on creating new electorates in Papua New Guinea and Nipa/Kutubu is one of them.
He pointed out that the people of Poroma have submitted their proposal on Poroma/Kutubu way back but was overlooked for various reasons known to the Boundaries Commission.
However, for record purpose, Poroma/Kutubu was an old electorate from 1972-1975 and where my fathers participated in the election as well.
“My people of Poroma and Kutubu share traditional ties dating back to ages and I was one those who benefited from the old ties.
“The provincial Election Boundaries Commission has made its recommendation citing those cultural ties and past governance system and I strongly support that recommendation forthwith.
He is calling on the Electoral Boundaries Commission to reinstate Poroma/Kutubu and not Kutubu/Bosavi because Kutubu/Bosavi has not enough population.
He added that although they have resources that warrants them to push for an electorate.
“I strongly object the new boundaries set citing the above and the objection paper attached herewith and look forward for a favourable outcome and ready to work with the establishment of this new Poroma/Kutubu Electorate.”