Political differences amongst elected Engan MPs themselves is if not 'the' most disgusting, filthy, low-form of relationship that can exist between our leaders. Obviously, most of our elected MPs today do not share common grounds with certain views all but politically instigated. For eg. Governor vs rest of the MP in regardsto Funds allocation (a recent and most probably on-going case). Us, the ordinary Engans tend to shift to our "personal" MPs and share their views on the other MP(s) negative leadership credentials so forth. Little do we know that political differences amongst leaders inclusive of their compadres become one of the most common impediments in the general progress of development and services in a society.

On the contrary, when one leader emerges forward and openly condemns such political differences and calls for a reunion with the rest of the MPs and work towards serving the people they represent as leaders, this depicts a leader who is in his right frame of mind and displaying absolute concern for development and services reaching the people he serves and Enga as a whole. The people each leader represent must enjoy services and development and in all possible way, any form of obstacle hindering these two very words, Development and Service must be eradicated. Having said all these, I take off my hat for the Lagaip-Porgera MP Philip Kikala who has taken the first big step to reunite with Enga Governor, Peter Ipatas, setting aside their political differences and working in unison to see ENGA MOVE FORWARD. Well done, MP Philip Kiakala.

The following was reported in one of our daily papers, post-coutrier, 24/12/2009.

Political rivals in Enga end rivalry

TWO bitter political rivals in Enga Province have made peace and vowed to work together for the good of the people.
Enga Governor Peter Ipatas and Lagaip-Porgera MP Philip Kikala, who have been at loggerheads over certain issues for almost two years, shook hands last Friday.
The two leaders have promised to forget their differences and will work together to bring services and development to the people of Enga.
Mr Kikala, who initiated the reconciliation, said it was foolish to spend five years without achieving anything as a result of being involved in infighting among leaders.
He said he found the task difficult when trying to pursue his district developmental plans, particularly when working in isolation with the provincial administration.
“I am happy to be back with the provincial assembly where important issues affecting our province are discussed. I will provide necessary support for the provincial leadership to move on with achieving positive results,” he said.
He said as a member of the ruling National Alliance Party, he would ensure that Mr Ipatas’ Peoples Party and his supporters enjoyed a good working relationship with the National Government in terms of channelling services and development to the people.
Mr Kikala, who attended the assembly meeting after a two-year absence, confessed that he had failed to attend an important forum where issues affecting the province including his district were discussed.
Mr Kikala was referred to the Ombudsman Commission early this year by the National Court in Wabag for coming up with several irregular decisions in his district administration.
This came about after the Enga Provincial Government, headed by Mr Ipatas had taken him to court over administrative decisions that Mr Kikala was said to have come up with without following set procedures.
One of them was the recognition of an illegally formed district planning and budget priorities committee with local level government presidents who were not legally elected by the people.
The setting up of this committee was later nullified by the National Court. Mr Ipatas said he was happy to have Mr Kikala back in the assembly because the people had suffered as a result of their infighting.
He also urged other MPs including Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Wabag MP, Sam Abal, Kandep MP-elect Don Polye and Wapenamanda MP Miki Kaeok to do the same to pave the way for services to be delivered to the people.

Dr. Laigap,

I share you thoughts in the coming together of all Engan MPs and working towards the betterment of Enga as a whole. It has become so obvious that the Provincial Governor can’t shoulder the province himself but needs the support from the five district MPs or the reciprocal.

Politics in Enga has revolved overtime into something with so many tentacles. The worst of all (tentacles) is the one being discussed here where politicians who should all be working towards a common goal end up having political differences and in most cases, we, the people suffer. Engans have suffered as a direct result of political divergence amongst elected leaders themselves and Election Day in, Election Day out, this conundrum prevails to exist. One may ask, “Is it because of the kind of traditional society that we live in?” (Engan culture – My father is this/that, who is your father? Or, for my father to slaughter his pigs, he’d send your father to go look for the feast leaves).

This culturally innovated political orientation has to be pin-pointed and knocked back. Their past grievances forgiven and start of with one goal, vision, agenda etc. It is true that the local MPs have been given some form of freedom and greater funding which as seen the major projects come on line, Abal Maramuni Road project, Kikala Hydro & Pyrethrum Projects, Kaeok Coffee Project and I am proud to say that this is what Enga wants to see.

What we would really want to see is all the district MPs attending all provincial assembly meetings and layout to the Enga people what their plan is for their respective districts and how all these ties in with the whole provincial development plan.

Regardless, in our MPs we trust because 'we' voted for them in the first place.