By DALCY LULUA and SEPKOLIN WALNE
The casket of the late Luther Wenge, Governor of Morobe Province, arrived at Parliament House this morning at 10:36am from Erima Funeral Home, greeted by sombre silence and heavy hearts.
The funeral convoy, with vehicles still covered in mud from the morning rain, slowly entered the Parliament precincts- a poignant symbol of the journey of a leader whose life was grounded in the struggles and aspirations of his people.
Pallbearers carried the casket into the Grand Hall, where Speaker of Parliament Job Pomat formally received it for the official lie-in-state ceremony.
Inside the Grand Hall, emotions were evident as the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Bob Dadae, Prime Minister James Marape, Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, senior ministers, provincial governors, and Members of Parliament gathered shoulder to shoulder to pay their last respects.
The viewing of the casket, led by Speaker Pomat, was marked with reverence as leaders and dignitaries filed past, each pausing to honor a man remembered not only as a politician, but as a fierce advocate for Morobe and Papua New Guinea.
Following the ceremony, the casket was escorted out of the Grand Hall and transported to Sione Kami Memorial Church, where a moving service was held in his honor.
Later, his body was taken to his residence at Kennedy Estate, where it will remain overnight, surrounded by the love and prayers of family and close relatives.
Tomorrow morning at 9:45am, a Tropic Air charter flight will depart Jacksons International Airport for Nadzab Tomodachi International Airport in Morobe Province, carrying the late Governor’s casket together with his family members.
For the people of Morobe, his homecoming will mark the beginning of a final farewell to a leader whose voice and presence left an indelible mark on the province and the nation.