THE NEED TO CHANGE FOR A BETTER FUTURE

by LUCAS KIAP

We have let a few individuals ruined our lives and future of this beautiful and rich country of untold wealth and beautify because of the PNG’s Big Man culture and Wantok System. We must know that the big man culture is a syndrome slowing destroying this beautiful and rich country. Wantok system is neither our destiny nor our future. We cannot deny ourselves a better life and pretend that corruption is a norm.

There are no two sets of laws in this country. There is only one law for every citizen in the country regardless of creed, race, ethnicity, religious background or political affiliations. Therefore, every Papua New Guinean must be on equal footing and play on the same level playing field.

We cannot let big men ruin and deprive our future because we don’t eat from the same cup, eat from the same plate or sleep on the same bed. Everyone should be given and should have equal opportunity to excel in life as one desires and choose to work hard for it. This country and everyone who occupies it from time to time should rise above their full potential and should be given the hope of a PNG dream. And that hope must not be deprived or under any circumstances suppressed by any man even those called themselves PNG’s big man.

We are not going to and shall not continue to suffer in a very rich country where we should be better off than other countries, which are not rich in natural resources as our country. Or we shall not let the future remain worse for our children and their children. We shall free ourselves from PNG’s Big Men culture and never again walk under their shadows.

We have tolerate corruption this far but we are also at a time the future becomes more important than our own fears and differences. To think we have the land with abundance of natural resources that will continue to sustain us as long we live on it is a fool’s thought undermining our potential to shape the future. Our ability to extract the natural resources will not come without consequences of permanent environmental destruction. One day our ability to extract more of these resources will be questioned as our land is struggling to maintain a delicate balance between our increasing demands and corruption. One day natural laws which will eventually come into play and halt our ongoing ability to extract more of these resources. Remember, our country has confined land and sea boundaries.

For how long are we going to take things for granted and live like this? If we are going to tolerate the leadership problem with corruption in this country as long as we can, then it’s better not to have kids who will suffer the consequences of our actions. Maybe it’s better to legalize marriage between animals and human beings so that the offspring we produce will be half-human and half-animal so that when times become hard, they will find shelter on the streets and find food in the rubbish bins. Are we ready to do that?

The time to act to fix the leadership problem and stop corruption is now while we still have the natural resources. Once our natural resources are depleted, this beautiful country of ours will be for the dogs for tribal war lords and criminal tugs to roam freely while those who are responsible will flee this country or live in heavily fortified houses with high raised fences and twenty-four hour security.

If not we have a common enemy living next door or in our homes as a neighbor, friend or wantok. Let’s get rid of this friend for the greater good of our country and its future.