By East Sepik Governor HON. ALLAN BIRD
To the usual critics on Prime Minister’s visit
Prime Minister James Marape visited our province to launch the PNG price support for cocoa farmers in Maprik district.
He chose Maprik because East Sepik Province is the largest cocoa-producing province.
He decided to spend the night and the next day so we organised a few places for him to visit.
He wanted to see Hawaiin Bridge because I had been raising the issue of this bridge for the past two years.
I understand that in December last year, a contract was awarded to COVEC Ltd.
COVEC is a Chinese company that is currently building several bridges in our province.
The European Union STREIT program has offered to fix the current bridge so that our people can keep using it until the new one is built in its place.
The PM also visited Kaindi Campus and the Moem Barracks.
The Marape-Basil Government is keen to empower provincial government so that we can better respond to issues arising within provinces.
So it was good for him to see our cocoa program at work and also the condition of our infrastructure and the importance of empowering us so we can respond quicker.
As he spent time with us, we discussed the need to upgrade Angoram Highway.
The permanent relocation of our Kardovar and Schouten Islands people and help for the Murik people whose land is being lost due to rising sea levels.
These were among the many things we discussed with him.
The usual critics will always see the negative in everything we try to to do.
For myself and members of the East Sepik Provincial Government who spent the day with the PM, we found it very refreshing to have a sitting PM take the time to listen to our challenges between province and national.
He took time to speak to many of our people which I thought our people appreciated greatly.
