By DAVID MURI
THE road between Kiburu turn off near Mendi to Tari is a total nightmare. This is according to regular traveller and outspoken Nipa public servant, Robin Pip.
“Huge potholes like giant river drains exist almost all the way between 60 to 70 kilometres of this national highway,” he says.
Mr Pip, who until recently was sidelined as administrator of Nipa said the road did not reflect as the only link to multibillion kina projects like the giant Hides gas field, Moran oil field and Kutubu oil field that contributes billions of kina as revenue to the nation’s purse.
He said Kutubu oil alone contributed K10 billion during its lifespan, citing a report from Sydney PNG chamber report 2010.
But he said successive governments had failed the people – the resource owners for so long.
“Government after government does not care of energy projects host electorates
such as Nipa-Kutubu, Komo-Magarima, Tari-Pori and Koroba-Kopiago with more than
400,000 people living there,” he said.
Pip said he was not sure if any of the local MPs from the region do travel the highway to feel the pain that ordinary citizens were bearing every day.
He said commuters including PMV operators were complaining daily but it seems their grievances were hitting brick walls. Pip stressed that maintenance of vehicles were soaring daily, adding many small businessmen were losing business because of the wear and tear and soaring costs involved to repair their vehicles.
“Can the government do something please? The Works Minister Francis Awesa’s electorate has 10 kilometre section of this highway and Finance Minister James Marape’s people own this road so we are asking if these two ministers can take lead and other MPs and two governors from Hela and Southern Highlands can do something immediately,” he pleaded, for and on behalf of the silent majority.
Pip said the people had endured enough pain from accidents and problems associated with the deteriorating road conditions and called for immediate repair.
“The worse cause of damage done to this road is big heavy trucks transporting machinery and equipment for Hide gas,” he said.
Many PMV operators from Nipa like Terry Hep, Gilbert John and Steven Eng have all shared similar sentiments for the road to be upgraded to a usable condition.
They warned people were already frustrated and might take the law into their own hands if nothing positive was done to rehabilitate the sinking highway.
The men have asked Mr Marape, Awesa and other parliamentarians to drive through the road to experience what they were actually talking about.
Pip said he was not sure if any of the local MPs from the region do travel the highway to feel the pain that ordinary citizens were bearing every day.
He said commuters including PMV operators were complaining daily but it seems their grievances were hitting brick walls. Pip stressed that maintenance of vehicles were soaring daily, adding many small businessmen were losing business because of the wear and tear and soaring costs involved to repair their vehicles.
“Can the government do something please? The Works Minister Francis Awesa’s electorate has 10 kilometre section of this highway and Finance Minister James Marape’s people own this road so we are asking if these two ministers can take lead and other MPs and two governors from Hela and Southern Highlands can do something immediately,” he pleaded, for and on behalf of the silent majority.
Pip said the people had endured enough pain from accidents and problems associated with the deteriorating road conditions and called for immediate repair.
“The worse cause of damage done to this road is big heavy trucks transporting machinery and equipment for Hide gas,” he said.
Many PMV operators from Nipa like Terry Hep, Gilbert John and Steven Eng have all shared similar sentiments for the road to be upgraded to a usable condition.
They warned people were already frustrated and might take the law into their own hands if nothing positive was done to rehabilitate the sinking highway.
The men have asked Mr Marape, Awesa and other parliamentarians to drive through the road to experience what they were actually talking about.
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