By Lindy Suharupa
President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville Ismael Toroama has released a statement pertaining to the unruly behaviour by Member for Ijivitari David Arore, during an official trip to Buka last week.
According to a short video circulating on social media platforms since last weekend, Mr Arore was supposedly complaining aloud about infrastructure at Buka airport when preparing to board a flight to Port Moresby last week Friday, 31st March.
The statement read, “the comments by the Member for Ijivitari Hon. David Arore at the Buka Airport were condescending and downright insulting to the government and people of Bougainville and very much unbecoming of a leader.”
In the statement, President Toroama continued to say,” I do not take kindly to having an incumbent Member of the Papua New Guinea National Parliament insulting my people and mocking the state of affairs while doing so right on Bougainville.”
“I understand that he is entitled to his opinion on our independence aspirations but that does not give him the right to use it to insult our leaders and our people.”
Mr Arore was comparing infrastructure at the Buka Airport to other provinces hence President Toroama although admitting certain areas in the region that lack infrastructure due to post conflict in Bougainville, he however highlighted some achievements the region has achieved thus far.
“I want to remind Mr Arore that Bougainville bankrolled PNG’s independence and set the very foundation for every form of development in this country.”
“Subsequently, we had a war waged on our people by the very same government we built.”
“You can mock our shortcomings in development but do not mock the sanctity of our aspirations to be an independent nation.”
President Toroama requested for Bougainvilleans to use these criticisms as motivation to develop and progress and called for an investigation by NAC to discern why Mr Arore was allowed to board the flight back to Port Moresby as he was alleged to be under the influence of alcohol.
Meantime, Member Arore in a media conference has sincerely apologized to the government and people of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
“My intent on my comments was to upgrade infrastructure in the airport facilities.”
“I did not mean to insult the Autonomous Bougainville Government and its people.”
The Member for Ijivitari was among a delegation of members from the National Parliament led by Minister for Bougainville Affairs Hon. Manasseh Makiba who were in Buka last week for an official visit to the Region.
