Polye calls on PM O'Neill, Works Minister Awesa to admit failures in serving the citizens better

Opposition Leader Don Polye has urged Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his Works Minister to admit their failures to serve the citizens better.

Following Minister Francis Awesa’s statement slamming him for misleading his Kandep people on road projects, Polye has denied playing politics with road infrastructure in his district.

Polye reiterated that the writing was on the wall, saying projects worth more than K150 million for his district were denied of when he was sacked as the Treasury Minister in March 2013.

“The response which the good minister provided is evasive, contagious and regrettable to cover the Prime Minister’s negligence on denying of projects meant for the people of Hela, Laiagam and Kandep,” said the Opposition Leader.

“The road projects in Port Moresby alone were done by the government at the expense of the country’s major highways. They need urgent maintenance and are in deterioration. The election is only two months away. When will they be fixed?

“Okuk Highway is a testimony of such. The government even failed to clear debris at Wandi in Chimbu,” claimed Polye.

The Opposition Leader doubts whether PM O’Neill and his Works Minister feel ashamed of beating their chests for projects he had initiated.

“At the ground-breaking ceremony of Kagamuga Airport in the Western Highlands four years ago, I remember Minister Awesa praising me for all these projects in the civil aviation, transport and works sectors.”

The Kandep MP queries why the work on Laiagam-Kandep road had stopped without completing the work initially agreed at face value.

He said the Wasa bridge should have connected Enga and Hela provinces, adding it is an alternate shortcut route for the latter to save costs for delivery of goods and services.

Polye is challenging Awesa to clean his own department on allegations of corruption.