Crowd disappointed over Prime Minister no-show

MORE than 1,000 people including men, women and school children who lined up the streets to get a glimpse of the country’s Prime Minister were disappointed as they were not given the opportunity sparking calls for the resignation of West New Britain Governor Peter Humphreys over this protocol blunder, The National reports.

Hundreds of people waited in vain at Independence Park hoping that the founding Prime Minister would at least address them about the government but were dispersed by heavy rain as the Prime Minister was spirited in a tinted vehicle into the provincial assembly for the National Executive Council meeting.

Hoskins LLG President Felix Umarie yesterday called on Governor Peter Humphreys to resign over what he called the deliberate protocol blunder.

“I think the programme was so confined that more than 1,000 people waited at Independence Park the whole day and the Prime Minister was not given the opportunity to address them what was going on with the country,” he said.

The people again waited yesterday hoping for some words from the Prime Minister but it was not included in the programme that Mr Umarie described the security arrangement as “a Hitler type operation”.

He said the Prime Minister was driven in a tinted vehicle and hundreds of school children who wanted to see their PM were not given that opportunity.

Mr Umarie said the presidents as heads of local level governments (LLGs) were snubbed from the programme to meet the Prime Minister and his Cabinet Ministers.

“This goes to show that the government has no recognition of the LLGs,” Mr Umarie said.

He said the LLG Presidents who had the mandate of the people were not included in the programme and did not have the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister and have dialogue with the Provincial and LLG Affairs Minister on problem facing the LLGs.

He said that the 11 LLG Presidents were not invited to a dinner hosted by the Governor that was attended mostly by public servants.

Mr Umarie said the Governor must resign because he was not accountable and transparent about government business since becoming the leader of the province.