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50 Years of Running Ourselves into the Ground—or 50 Years of Uniting to Put Idiots in Charge

Last year, as we prepared to celebrate 50 years of independence, I wrote a reflection titled “Reflecting on 50 Years of Independence: A Call to Action for Papua New Guinea.” In that piece, I laid out five major challenges that continue to hold us back: human nature, governance, economic struggles, social attitudes, and political influence. I ended with a message of hope—that if we faced these issues honestly and acted decisively, we could unlock our true potential as a nation.

Now, one year on, the milestone has passed. The celebrations have come and gone. But when the dust settles, we are left with the same uncomfortable truth: instead of changing course, we continue to run ourselves into the ground while uniting to put the wrong people in charge.


From Reflection to Repetition

The problems are not new. We know them well: lack of respect among citizens, self-interest over national interest, entitlement without effort, and leaders who operate with little to no accountability.

But the deeper issue is this: we, the citizens, allow it. We talk about corruption, we complain about incompetence, but when it matters most, during elections, in our communities, in our everyday choices, we too often fall back on old habits. We choose leaders because of tribe, family ties, or short-term handouts. We defend them, even when they fail us. We give them another chance, even when they prove they cannot deliver.

The cycle continues not because politicians are brilliant manipulators, but because too many of us are willing participants.

The Cost of Our Choices

Look around. After 50 years, basic services are still unreliable. Roads wash away after one rainy season. Many schools are underfunded, teachers underpaid, and students left behind. Hospitals run out of medicine, and people die from preventable causes.

These are not accidents but the consequences of our collective choices. Every time we elect someone based on loyalty instead of competence, we are trading progress for disappointment. Every time we stay silent instead of demanding accountability, we are giving permission for corruption to flourish.

Leaders may be responsible for their actions, but we, as citizens, are responsible for putting them there.

Our Role in the Decline

It’s easy to point fingers at Waigani and say the government has failed us. And yes, leadership has failed. But government reflects the people who put it there. If we keep uniting around the wrong values such as tribalism, handouts, personalities over principles, then we are not victims. We are enablers.

We cannot keep expecting miracles from leaders while refusing to change our own attitudes.

  • If we want transparency, we must stop normalising corruption in our own communities.
  • If we want accountability, we must stop defending leaders simply because they are “our man.”
  • If we want progress, we must stop waiting for handouts and start building something for ourselves.

Real change does not start in Parliament. It starts with citizens deciding that the old ways no longer serve us.

What 50 Years Should Have Taught Us

By now, we should have learned that:

  • Development does not come from handouts, but from hard work and responsibility.
  • Unity must be built on accountability, not blind loyalty.
  • Leaders rise or fall depending on the standards citizens set for them.
  • Entitlement weakens us, while initiative strengthens us.

But have we learned these lessons? Or are we still trapped in the same cycle, passing the burden to the next generation?

Where Do We Go From Here?

Last year, I called for action. This year, I call for courage from ordinary citizens. We need the courage to say “no” to tribal politics. The courage to hold leaders accountable, even when it costs us personally. The courage to stop excusing failure and to demand better.

Citizenship is not passive. It is active. It means more than voting once every five years—it means paying attention, speaking out, and refusing to be bought. If we fail in our role, no leader, no government, and no policy can save us.

Closing

We have spent 50 years proving that our potential is real but unrealised. The question now is whether we will spend the next 50 proving that we lacked the courage to change ourselves.

If we keep uniting only to put incompetence in charge, then we should not be surprised when the future looks exactly like the past.

The choice is not only with the politicians. It is with us.

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