A Motu-Koitabu leader announced he will be running for the Moresby North West seat this year. Miria Ikupu says he wants to do more for Port Moresby’s customary landowners.
Ikupu has contested four elections, and this will be his fifth. He lost by 17 votes in 2012.
The Motu- Koitabu people have many issues that need urgent attention. But, their leadership has found it difficult to effectively attend to them. Their council is divided, and they have no office to commune.
Each year, they expect K500,000 from the City Hall, but the chairman says there is no money.
“The Motu-Koitabu Assembly has no money,” says Ikupu.
Ikupu is now funning for office in an attempt to make sure the Motu-Koitabu people benefit from development happening in Port Moresby.
They are talking tax returns coming directly to their Assembly by-passing City Hall.
Ikapu believes he can do that in Parliament.
“I think I can do so much better serving the people as a member of parliament than I am doing as the Chairman of Motu-Koitabu,” says Ikupu.
This is Ikupu’s fifth election run, and this time he hopes to bring the Motu-Koitabu agenda to the floor of Larliament. Ikupu is an economist with qualifications from the University of Papua New Guinea, and the United Kingdom.
