Parliament has told Mr Kavo and others to quit hanging around PM and get back to Gulf to make sure things are getting done. Gulf LNG and the Purari hydro projects need attention and 2013 budget monies for these projects need to be administered properly. Kavo go home!
Gulf MPs told to return home
Gulf governor Havila Kavo and two other Members of Parliament from Gulf Province have been urged to quit from operating in Port Moresby and return home.
In an interview, the members of the Gulf Provincial Assembly, including presidents of Local Level Governments have highlighted the need for stability and governance in the case there is an election related case is before the court and the member is asked to take leave or is sidelined.
Mr Kavo is particularly asked to immediately return to Kerema and call a meeting to make permanent appointments of ministers and heads of divisions.
Former clerk of the Gulf Provincial Executive Simon Malara made the call on Mr Kavo and the other MPs in a meeting in the presence of presidents of LLGs and government officials in Kerema.
“The Governor has to put the house in order in the name of stability and good governance, there has to be an official in the province to run its affairs,” said Mr Malara.
At the moment, there is a caretaker Cabinet which was formed six months ago after the elections, however, under the provincial and LLG affairs, a caretaker Cabinet can only last for 21 days and no more than six months which is in breach of the leadership code, causing serious implications.
Mr Malara said as a province there must be a governor in the province at all times to run its affairs, manage its economic sustainability in the name of development, create consistency and give priority to LLGs as highlighted by the Prime Minister in his 2013 Budget.
The provincial assembly members also voiced concern about the Gulf LNG project and the multi-million kina Purari hydro power project, saying there must be a 2013 money plan to ensure monies from these projects improve the decentralisation in delivery of goods and services to the rural areas who make up the majority of the population.
The presidents had also expressed frustration that their fortnight salaries and seating allowances have not been paid for over two months, blaming the governor and the provincial administrator for not working together to ensure the payments were given priority as these leaders need funds to visit the electorates and attend special assembly seatings.
Furthermore, they said, they were paying their own way to go to Port Moresby and Kerema town in order to borrow money from friends and family members and payback with interest which adds more problems for them. They said Mr Kavo must return to Kerema and operate from there rather than in a guesthouse in Port Moresby. A similar call is made on the other MPs.
