Marape : No, Namah, O'Neill and David will deter my Men and I from our course for a better PNG

 PAPUA New Guinea, over the last three years, has been working at re-establishing stronger foundations and re-defining its destiny going forward into the future.

Prime Minister Hon. James Marape – who, by law, remains the prime minister until the return of writs and establishment of the next government – said today from Fiji his resolve remains resolute and his focus total even if an army of Namahs, O’Neills and Davis’ marched against him with words of sharpest steel.

The Prime Minister, who just handed over the leadership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group earlier today to Vanuatu PM Hon. Bob Loughman while balancing other regional negotiations at the 51st Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) summit in Fiji, said he would not be deterred by politically-fuelled, biased, unfounded criticisms by Belden Namah, Peter O’Neill, and Davis Steven that contributed little to nation-building. 

“These men will never deter me and my leaders from the course we have set. Our paddles are already in deep, sails are up, our course clear, and we see a destination that is of hope and plenty for our country,” said PM Marape from across the Pacific Ocean.

“We have worked hard over the last three years amidst very trying times to recover our national budget, to rescue our recessed economy; to once more get the confidence of our development partners to support us, and to set a course that will realise national debt retirement, surplus budgets and a functioning sovereign wealth fund within this decade.

“We see more Papua New Guinean ownership and participation in our natural resources; we see downstream processing; we see the empowerment of the ordinary people through small businesses; we see the escalation in the fight against corruption and a stronger law and order; we see a revamped education system that has better absorption capacity and clearer pathway to assimilate young people into society; we see a health care that is defined by its world-class standard and its proximity to the people; we see connectivity of our people through infrastructure in all its aspects. And we see an electoral process that is upgraded and electronised. 

“The path is clear. The systems are falling into place because that has been the work we have been doing over the last three years in spite of a global pandemic. 

“Our group of young leaders are absolutely resolved to drive this development agenda and no Belden Namah or Peter O’Neill or Davis Steven will kill this resolve with your biased words of criticism.

“The PIF is our premier regional forum. It works at setting the agenda for development across the Pacific and PNG attends as the leader among the smaller island nations of the Pacific. Our collective voice as the Pacific people is only strong when we speak together as a group instead of singularly as Island States. 

“PIF agenda is of regional significance, not one to be trivialised as so misleadingly put by Belden Namah. 

“As for Davis Steven’s assertions that only Marape and his government should be blamed for all the challenges being faced in the 2022 National General Elections, let me remind him that he was once the deputy leader of People’s National Congress that led the previous government for eight long COVID-19-free years. What did they do? Did they call out for a Census or the upgrade of the Common Roll? The NID program stalled under their leadership.

“Cheap politics for point-scoring and attention-grabbing works against you when you not completely innocent, that you had the perfect opportunity to do something yet failed to do it.

“When we return, Pangu and its coalition Government will continue steadfastly with our strategy of Taking Back PNG. It is not impossible to make PNG the Richest Black Christian Nation on Earth. Our ideals a high because, you know what, our standards are high.”

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