A total of 42 candidates are contesting the current Moresby Northwest Electorate by election in the nation’s capital, and among the hopefuls is a current law student at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG), who intends to make some changes to the way some things are run, with issues affecting students in mind.
Mr. Nisia Limbao is a 27 year old young man who hails from a small tribe called Yangakuni in the Wapenamanda District in the Enga Province. A final year Law student, Limbao decided to contest simply because he felt the pinch of the ignorance of mandated leaders, whom he claimed do little to nothing for the people when they are in power.
“Leaders tend to forget the simple people and the daily struggles that we continually face,” he said.
“If there will be no change, then I have to put my hand up and it is my constitutional right to do so too.”
His proposed policies focus on issues faced by Tertiary, College and Secondary students.
“One of my important policy is to revive allowance for tertiary students because most students come from financially struggling families and it’s tough for many of them,” Mr. Limbao said.
“I know this all too well because I feel it too, so my aim is to revive students allowance and really subsidize their school fee so the burden is less on their parents and them as well.”
Mr. Limbao said 10 months is a short time to get things done, but if elected he will try his best to use the DSIP funds to deliver his policies.
“Once an MP is elected, it’s quite impossible to bring services within the first or second year because the MP has to provide Writ Proposal, take it to the Department of National Planning, then to Treasury for budget allocation and then to finance, which is time consuming,” he added.
Meanwhile, when asked what his thoughts are on criticisms on his lack of experience in politics, Mr. Limbao replied that PNG’s Constitution gives the public a qualified freedom of speech, information and expression and everyone has a right to an opinion.
“People have the right to express themselves and I cannot stop them, so I must accept all criticisms that are being thrown at me,” he added.
“It’s this sort of criticism that motivates me to be better and stronger. I want to be a controversial person that people will talk about, I want to write my own history.”
