By Pisai Gumar

Copyright postcourier

Morobe students honour late Wenge’s vision

THE Late Morobe Governor Luther Wenge’s vision to initiate Gerson-Solulu tertiary scholarship has brought together students attending public and private institutions across the country to mourn and pay tribute at his hauskrai at Sir Ignatius Kilage stadium, Lae yesterday.

Morobe Tertiary Students Union (MTSU) across the length and breadth of the country flocked to the stadium to honour the man they regarded as a father figure.

The students, dressed in black, wept openly, smeared mud on their faces and bore portraits of the late Wenge.

They sang mournful songs as they proceeded with their ‘walk for sorrow’ from Eriku earlier.

Late Wenge’s vision to invest in education since being elected as provincial leader in 1997 was drawn on the theme “leave no child behind” through the Gerson-Solulu tertiary scholarship program.

When asked about connecting rural Morobe, he once said: “I would rather build the roads and bridges to link rural areas, but they will rot and collapse.

“It is more logical to invest in education to nurture people who will build roads and bridges for themselves.”

This statement was similar to Late Somare’s response, when asked a day before Independence in 1975.

“Chief Somare, you would want to gain Independence but where is your workforce – the human resource who will build this country?”

In his wisdom, late Somare replied, pointing to women wearing grassskirts and meri blouses and said: “You see those women wearing grassskirts and meri blouses; my workforce are living in the wombs of those women.”

Thus, late Wenge, in respect to two educationists in Morobe, Michael Gerson and Joe Solulu, honoured them by naming the provincial education scholarship program after them.

Yesterday’s procession included students from around the country attending tertiary institutions in Lae and elsewhere.

The Gerson-Solulu scheme has produced not only the professionals and intellectuals in various disciplines.

It has eased the burden of tertiary fees on rural parents and those in tough financial situations.

The Gerson-Solulu scholarship is not only for Morobean’s but includes the children of parents from other provinces who are long-term residents of Morobe.

The scholarship continues to succeed since 1997 and has produced over 10,000 intellectuals in various fields and disciplines across the country and abroad.

In the face of students’ protests and strikes over late tuition fees, late Wenge always maintained patience to address their concerns.

Student leaders described the late Wenge as a father figure and visionary leader who upheld late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare’s words to invest in education to develop human resources as their legacies for the country’s future.