WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS ONLY THE BEGINNING IF CORRUPTION, POVERTY, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, LAW AND ORDER AND DRUG ADDICTION IS NOT ADDRESSED FORTWITH

I watched on with tears filled my eyes as our country suddenly plunged into chaos, anarchy and mayhem on 10th January 2024 while laid to waste the business houses that have been struggling to do business in a country the risks are very high. The scale and magnitude of the looting and destruction and how quickly it spreaded on what supposed to be a normal day is beyond imagination. 

The ROOT CAUSE of this unspeakable event is nothing but "CORRUPTION". Corruption in this country is caused by pure greed for wealth, power, fame and glory by our own leaders that we mandate them. As a result, corruption is trapping millions of our people in poverty in our own natural resources rich country. We have no one to be blamed but our leaders as every nation rises and falls on leadership. Our leaders have been letting corruption to grow systematic and systemic - making our lives difficult, limiting our opportunities to business and employment, making our systems malfunction, setting back our progresses, creating loopholes for our systems to be manipulated, distorting our democratic values, depriving and denying us of our basic human rights, resulting in poverty and rise violent crimes. What we have witnessed is a direct result of corruption and widespread poverty in the country. 

Yet our plausible leaders are afraid to call it by name and take responsibility to address it. Instead they call it the "darkest day" in the history of this country and they blame it on "payroll glitch". So pathetic and unbecoming of national leaders. 

If you are a national leader of this country and if this has happened under your leadership whether you are in the government or opposition, you should be ashamed and condemned yourself. You have failed as a leader. How many years you have been a leader, its a waste because you have achieved noting if what has happened is any indication of your legacy. 

Whether you are in the government passing around the blame on any scapegoat or whether you are in the opposition blaming the government, what has happened is only the beginning if corruption is not addressed forthwith, because corruption gives rise to poverty and poverty gives rise to law and order problems. 

As national leaders, you all have the power to make a difference in the lives of every Papua New Guinean whom you represent them. You have the power to make this country a better place for everyone. 

Let the people speak highly of your achievements. Let them pray and rejoice because you have reduced corruption. Let them pray and rejoice because you have provided homes with electricity and water supply connected. Let them pray because you have made food cheap and affordable. Let them pray because you have provided quality health care for them. Let them pray because you have provided quality education for them. Let them pray because you have provided employment for them. Let them pray because you have built quality infrastructures for them to enjoy. Let them pray because you have reduced law and order problems under your leadership. Let them pray because their quality of life and living standard have improved under your leadership. 

Let the people rejoice and pray to God to bless your leadership for what you have done for them and for this country. If you had done what you should have done as national leaders, then you should not be shifting the blame around for what has happened as you are all equally to be blamed. 

As national leaders, you should all be proud of yourself as national leaders of this country if what has happened is to define your legacy. 

Leaders have the power to make a difference. 

Thank you, 

LUCAS KIAP