PNG WESTERN PROVINCE MPs

 

Know Your MP : Delta Fly MP Agena Gamai

a Post-Courier political information initiative 

 

BY FRANK RAI
 
Delta Fly electorate in Western province is one of the seven new electorates created by the last parliament before going into the 2022 National General Elections.
 
This electorate made history in electing their incumbent Deputy Governor for Western province and three term Bamu Local Level Government (LLG) president and ward member in the village.
 
Newly elected Delta Fly MP Agena Gamai is no stranger to politics when he started his political career as a ward member in 2008 unopposed by his constituents.
 
At that time in 2008, ward members were allowed to elect their LLG president and this is how Mr Gamai was elected Bamu LLG president unopposed.
 
He served as a LLG president for the first term and in 2013, the provisions of LLG election changed and the people had to vote for the president so Mr Gamai was again voted by the people for his second term.
 
During this term, from 2013 to 2018 he served as a member of the Fly River Provincial Executive Council (PEC) as the provincial chairman for education.
 
Again in 2018, ward members were allowed to vote for LLG presidents and he won the Bamu LLG president seat for three consecutive terms.
 
This was first in history for the LLG, district and also province so the word spread among people in Western province to elect Mr Gamai as the Deputy Governor as the provincial assembly.
 
While, serving as the President of Bamu LLG and Deputy Governor for Fly River provincial government, he contested the 2022 National Election for the newly established Delta Fly electorate and won the seat after beating 41 candidates.
 

L-R: Abau MP Sir Puka Temu; Vanimo Green MP Belden Namah, and Delta Fly MP Agena Gamai.

This is his story:
 
I come from the bush. My old man Gamai Bilimoi and mother Nasai Arale did not attend any school. They were ordinary villagers.
 
I was not born in a hospital. My mother gave birth to me under a mango tree in the village on November 13, 1976 at Kuria village of Bamu LLG. 
 
Gardening, hunting, making canoe, fishing and so on is  how my father taught me to live and survive in the village. 
 
Fortunately, Mr Gamai completed primary education from 1985 to 1990 and was accepted for Awaba High School in 1991.
 
He completed grade 10 in 1994 but did not get any offer to further his education so he went back to the village.
 
“I only knew the village. I did not know Daru, Port Moresby or any other places in PNG. 

"After grade 10, I stayed in the village for five-years doing community work with people and organizing activities because of my grade 10 knowledge,” he said.
 
Mr Gamai’s involvement in community as a youth attracted the attention of village elders and they appointed him as the Kuria village committee chairman. 
 
He continued his community responsibility for another three years. This was the time, his father Gamai Bilimo realised something in his son.
 
He saw the commitment, dedication and loyalty his son had for his people.

The famous way to get around on the mighty Fly River. Picture from Fly River Pictures page.

 
“One day, my father called a family meeting with my siblings. Three girls and six boys. I am the eldest in the family. 

"My father said he had a challenge for me and that was to start a small family business. 

"My father told me that since, I had education level up to grade 10, I should take the lead on behalf of the family,” he recalls.

It was a tough challenge since he had never been to any other places apart from his village and LLG.
 
His father gave him K3000 which he had saved from selling cassowary and pig meat.
 
“My father hunted cassowary, wild pigs and sell them at a nearby logging company. That is where is got the money. 

"With the K3000, I came to Port Moresby for the first time with the help of one of the villagers,” he said.
 
With the help of an aunt, he bought store goods, paid the freight for shipping and transported the goods back home.
 
As years went by, Gamai’s business expanded to three branches, one each at Kamusi, Emeti and Balimo district headquarter.
 
“While I was running my business operations, our local population approached me when they need fuel for their canoe and boats or food. 

The new district is made up of Bamu and Gogodala rural local level governments and Balimo Urban llg.

"We are a struggling LLG in terms of government services so I helped the people who came asking for fuel and food,” he added.
 
“While I was doing that, people started talking among themselves and voted me unopposed as their ward councilor in 2008. 

"All 19 ward members of Bamu LLG in Middle Fly, today Delta Fly then voted me as their LLG president. 

"In my LLG, I did so many things and that is why my people trusted me,” Mr Gamai said.
 
Before he contested the Delta Fly Open seat, he called an assembly meeting at the Council Chambers and called all the ward members in the LLG to elect their new LLG president.
 
“I humbly left the president seat and called for the ward members to nominate and elect their new president and they did. 

"I walked out of the chamber and promised not to return if I lost in the National Election race,” Mr Gamai added.
 
“My vision is to build the human resources. My focus in these five years is about five sectors. 

"Education will be my number one priority, following by the economic sector to support my people through SME and participate in projects,” he added.
 
Mr Gamai said people will change the place unless you invest in them to change them.