Member for Wewak, Hon. Stanley Samban has raised concerns over the government’s decision to strip East Sepik Province (ESP) of its rights to host the 2028 PNG Unity Games.
Mr. Samban said the people of Wewak and ESP had won the democratic bid to host the 9th PNG Unity Games, fulfilling all requirements set by the PNG Sports Foundation.
“We followed the rules: signed a legally binding host contract agreement with the PNG Sports Foundation, paid the K50,000 bid fee, and another K2 million to secure those rights,” he stated.
He added that ground preparations and infrastructure planning were already underway in East Sepik before the announcement.
“Without any formal consultations with East Sepik leaders, the Minister has made a unilateral decision to strip ESP of its 2028 hosting rights to bail out Southern Highlands Province,” Mr. Samban said.
In response, Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) and Sports, Hon. Kinoka Feo, explained that the decision was made in Cabinet after all views were considered.
“I’ve met with my CEO and the team to reconcile with the PNG Games Council and Sports Council,” Mr. Feo said, adding that he will be taking papers back to Cabinet to address the issue.
Stay tuned for further updates.