By MICHELLE AUAMOROMORO
MANY villages in the Yangoru-Saussia District of East Sepik that had not been connected by road and not had easy access to education and health services now do, thanks to their local MP Hon. Richard Maru.
“Since becoming member for Yangoru-Saussia, I quickly realized that many villages are still unconnected by road, many don’t have health and education services.
“Over the last ten years, I have tried my very best to make sure I don’t leave anyone behind,” said Maru
Maru, on Monday, May 2, opened a new 6km road from Bararat to link the people of Mindogum in the Sausso LLG.
“Completion of this road is part of my commitment to make sure that everyone in Yangoru-Saussia has the same level of services because everyone is entitled to a road, a school and to a health service,” he said.
This road was a half-a-million-kina project.
Maru said Mindogum was one of the villages that they (the DDA) had been targeting to reach and they finally did reach it.
“I am extremely happy that we finally got this road built so the people of Mindogum don’t have to walk 6km through the ‘kunai’ every day to catch a PMV to town; finally, we are able to deliver a road to them for the first time so the PMVs can come all the way up to the village and they can start doing business, trade their goods and bring in goods and services back into the village,” he said.
Levi Kuiaha, a community leader of Mindogum said for years, his people had been carrying cargoes and walking distances to catch a PMV to get to town and back.
“Now we see light; we finally see a road coming into our village,” said Levi.
“This means a lot to us, especially to our women and children,” he said.
Apart from Mindogum, Maru said they (DDA) also connected roads to Heikulim and Oloks village this year.
He said they are now looking forward to opening a new 15km road which will cut through the mountains from Wihun to Boinam.
“This is a special year for us.
“Many people are receiving roads for the first time in their lives,” said Maru.
“I just want to praise God this morning for making funds available for us to do just that; without funds we couldn’t do it,” he said.
Maru thanked the Marape government for supporting his district with funds to have these projects rolled out.
“The bulk of our people still live in remote and isolated communities that require road links.
“Thank you for supporting my district with adequate funding so we are able to now deliver roads to people who’ve waited for 30, 40, 50 years to get a simple road,” he said.
“Now we can look at other services which will follow on the back of the roads,” he added.
