The Chief Executive Officer of the newly-established Mt Hagen City Authority is rebutting media publicity blaming them for the City’s untidiness, and increase in petty crimes.
CEO Leo Noki said there is a court order in place which prevents the Authority from working, and keeping Mt. Hagen City clean and safe.
However, he clarified that the Mt. Hagen National Court gave orders for the City Council to work, without freezing their account.
According to the report, published in a daily newspaper last Thursday, Mt. Hagen Urban LLG Manager, Pious Pim said the City Council were unable to carry out their duty to keep the City functioning.
The City Manager blamed the City Authority for freezing their accounts and blocking them from having access to tax revenue collected in the City.
However, the CEO, Leo Noki, told EMTV News that this was misleading to the city’s residents, and business houses.
Noki said the City Council took the City Authority to Court which resulted in signatures being changed, and the City Council regained the authority to carry out its duties.
The Court case remains pending for the Judge to rule on which party will have access to funding to keep Mt Hagen City clean and safe.
For the time being, the National Court has directed the City Council to keep the City functioning with money collected from internal revenue.
Noki stated that both parties had reconciled and agreed for the City Council to clean Hagen City, but had done nothing, which prompted the City Authority to step in and clean up.
