The Leadership is the Root Cause of Corruption and Lack of Development in Papua New Guinea

By Lucas Kiap

Most of us seem to confuse ourselves of why the country is not progressing or why corruption is so rampant in the country. In the midst of our own confusing we have been blaming every government for corruption and lack of development. We have been even blaming ourselves for electing the wrong leaders or accepting bribery and wantok system as the root causes of corruption and lack of progress. 

Before I outline the main and root cause of corruption in PNG as the leadership, I would like to first draw your attention to the fact that the government is not responsible for corruption or lack of development. The government is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. It’s only that we have corrupt leaders in the government. 

The truth is that PNG has a leadership problem in the country. The 38 years leadership has proved more than incapable of running this country. We are now at a time; the leadership is a threat and grave concern to the future of this country. 

Why the leadership is the root cause of corruption and is a threat and grave concern to the future of the country? 

The first reason is that the leadership lack vision to change this country with time. We must all know that; time does not change things naturally. It is men who change things with time as they desire in their visions and development plans. Why housing is still a problem? Why we have the highest unemployment in the world? Why we have chronic law and order problems? Why the cost of living in the country is the highest in the world though we are a third world country? The culprits are the leaders who simply do not have any vision to address these problems. They have been simply running this country on ad hock basis. Therefore, our leaders have been simply spending money not to achieve any visions or development goals but spending money to steal the money again.

The second reason is that the leadership lack national pride. That’s why the leaders haven’t built anything of national significance since independence to put PNG on the world map. Instead they have been making big budgets plans after budget plans only for themselves to steal and get rich. Other countries have been building tallest towers, longest bridges, man-made islands, etc. all in the name of national pride to show off to the rest of the world what they are capable of achieving. But in PNG we have leaders who only boast about our natural resources for foreigners to come in and exploit them. 

The third reason is that the leadership lack patriotism. If our leaders have not been lacking patriotism, they would have done anything to defend this country and even with their own lives. Because the leaders lack patriotism; they don’t care what happens to this country and its future. They want everything for themselves while they are still alive. Look at how many foreigners our leaders are allowing into the country to exploit the country, the people and natural resources. All these show the lack of patriotism of the leadership of the country. 

The fourth reason is that the leadership is simply being ignorant about the problems affecting the country. They don’t care what happens to this country, the people and the future. All they care is to get rich and accumulate enough wealth for their kids. If they have been cared enough, they would have been distributing the country’s wealth fairly and equally to develop all parts of the country. They would have created more opportunities for people to live a better life. 

Now don’t blame the government for corruption. Don’t blame wantok system and bribery as the root cause of corruption. Bribery and want system are here because the leadership does not have visions to change this country. If they have, then they would not allow bribery and wantok system in the country. They would have outlawed them long time ago because it will prevent them from achieving their visions. Don’t blame the people for electing the wrong leaders. The people have been electing leaders. The failure is with the leaders themselves. They have failed and betrayed the trust of the people by stealing from them again. Such leaders are a disgrace to the country and the people.

The solution to corruption and lack of development in the country is to destroy the 38 years leadership and their corruption legacy. They all must be voted out in the 2017 elections. They have proved themselves more than incapable of running this country. We can’t keep them there only to prolong our own suffering in a country rich as ours. 

Lucas Kiap

Patriots - PNGACMC