Late Governor Wenge handed over to Morobe Province

The body of the late Morobe Governor, Luther Akisawa Wenge, was officially handed over to the Morobe Provincial Government in a solemn ceremony in Lae late yesterday afternoon.

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Member for Markham, Koni Iguan officially handed over the body on behalf of the National Government, to the Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Lae John Rosso.

Receiving the body, the Lae MP emotionally spoke of Governor Wenge’s leadership and legacy, stressing how he spoke up defending the little people's rights.

“Receiving our Governor in a box like this is very heartbreaking for all of us,” he said. “On behalf of the Morobe Provincial Executive Council and the people of Morobe, I sincerely thank the Prime Minister James Marape and the Deputy Speaker Koni Iguan for treating our Governor with the utmost respect since his passing, and for bringing him home to us.”

Prime Minister James Marape had flown into Lae to attend the ceremony, arriving at the Tutumang Haus at 3:00 pm. At the same time, the motorcade made its way into Lae from Nadzab Tomodachi International Airport.

He delivered a final tribute at the ceremony, before departing for Port Moresby shortly after witnessing the handover takeover.

Following the official proceedings, the PNG Defence Force soldiers carried the casket into the Morobe Tutumang Haus, where the late Governor was given a ceremonial sitting for one final time, honoring his role as the Chairman of the Morobe Provincial Assembly and CEO or Governor of the Province.

The body was later taken to his family's home in Obu, where it spent the night with immediate relatives.

Late Wenge was a respected, outspoken leader who is remembered for his dedication to justice, regional and provincial development, and the rights of the people of Morobe and Papua New Guinea as a whole.