Commentary by Timon Takazu
'HELA’s only hope for progress, prosperity and a better future lies with their favorite son and Governor Anderson Pawa Agiru.'
Agiru is Hela and Hela is Agiru’ and that is an undeniable fact. In the just concluded 2012 National Elections, Southern Highlands and Hela held their breath when Agiru was trailing in second place to businessman Andy Kapa Kenamo during the counting of the votes.
However, when counting intensified, Agiru picked up momentum and dashed home. Some of Agiru’s supporters and fans in Southern Highlands and throughout PNG are wondering how on Earth Hela’s favorite son could trail during the counting of the votes.
There are twofold reasons to this- one is that the elections in Hela were generally hijacked and people did not caste their votes freely. Polling did not take place in places like Upper and Lower Wage in Margarima district, Pori in Tari Pori district, Awi Lagayu and Lake Kopiago in Koroba Lake Kopiago district and parts of North and South Koroba.
They were hijacked and ballot papers were filled in by candidates and polling officials. Had actual polling taken place and people did vote, Agiru the name that is embedded in the minds and hearts of every Hela soul was sure to come home by a bigger margin and even he could have mastered the absolute majority in the first primary counts. For the knowledge of the rest of PNG, Agiru only campaigned for nine days.
The powers that be tried as much as possible to use money and systematically make Agiru loose in the elections. This was out of pure jealousy and nothing else. However, this all backfired when Hela returned their favorite son to power.
For the record, unlike other Hela and SHP MPs, Agiru did not use undue influence nor tamper the electoral process to seek election. People just voted for him out of respect and love for their leader.
There is no Hela leader in the current era and time capable of developing the new Hela province and chart the path for a prosperous future for Hela. The Hela peoples’ hopes are only pinned on Agiru and only Agiru alone can liberate them.
It was Agiru who debated for the LNG project to be developed on the shores of the country and thus the government that time shelved the PNG to Queensland Gas Pipeline project. It was Agiru only who singlehandedly negotiated for maximum benefits for Hela and Southern Highlands landowners during the umbrella benefits sharing agreement (UBSA) forum for the LNG project in Kokopo in May, 2009.
In Hela, everyone Hela soul know who their favorite son is. Our Hela leaders of current time and era can claim that they represent Hela in what they say and the position they occupy.
However, no one Hela leader, be it past and present can match the unique and charismatic style of leadership Agiru posses. Take for instance, when Agiru speaks at the ceremonial Andaija oval in Tari, the huge Hela crowd come to a complete standstill.
They literally sit on even the mud and gravel surfaced arena just to hear their leader speak. Every word that pours out of Agiru’s word is received and embraced wholeheartedly with huge applause. Agiru is charismatic and when he speaks, he can covert souls.
Agiru is Hela’s legendary, prophetic and spiritual leader. One thing is certain, Agiru is Hela but Agiru still loves his beloved and mighty Southern Highlands province. Soon after his declaration at the Tari district court house in Tari, Agiru said on NBC radio that “O’Neill and Powi can take Southern Highlands away from me but they will never take the Southern Highlands inside me for I shall and will always be Southern Highlander.”
For the record, Agiru is historic because he was the last Governor for the mighty Southern Highlands and he also created history by becoming Hela’s pioneer Governor. No one leader, MP or anyone from Hela will equal the benchmark Agiru has set in Hela and PNG politics.
Even if Waigani tries to marginalize Agiru and employ the divide and rule tactic in Hela as Hela is the land of milk and honey due to its abundant natural resources, Hela will still stay thick and thin with Agiru. Simply put, just at the mention of Agiru’s name, Hela people are healed and blessed. Newspapers sell like hotcakes in Tari town when an article about Agiru is featured.
No one Hela leader can claim that he is Hela’s favorite son because the only son Hela’s hopes are pinned on is Anderson Pawa Agiru. No one in Hela is currently fit to wear Agiru’s shoes and command that magnitude of respect and following.
Peter O’Neill must be made aware that no matter how hard he tries to marginalize and isolate Agiru in dealing with Hela issues, Agiru will always pop up as the entire Hela nation’s joy, prayers, pains, gains, sufferings and prosperity is vested on Agiru.
Go Agiru, we are always with you and you are still our favorite Hela and Southern Highlands son.
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