A primary school teacher in Kutubu, Southern Highlands Province, has issued a strong appeal to major resource companies and government leaders following a workplace accident that exposed serious gaps in basic services for local communities.
Mr. Benjamin Okene, a teacher at Kopi Waterfront Primary School, was injured on March 28, 2026, while installing solar lighting at the school.
The call has been backed by school principal Mr. Steven Albert.
The incident occurred at around 11:30am as he worked to improve electricity access for students.
With no immediate medical facility nearby, fellow teachers and community members rushed him to the main gate separating landowners from the Gobe oil field area, where they attempted to seek assistance.
However, the Gobe clinic reportedly arrived only at around 4:30pm-nearly five hours after the accident.
“The delay was too long. From 11:30am to 4:30pm is about five hours, and that is not good,” Mr. Okene told PNG SUN.
He acknowledged that the clinic primarily serves company operations but questioned the lack of accessible healthcare for surrounding landowner communities.
Mr. Okene is now calling on multi-million-kina resource companies, including Santos, ExxonMobil, and MRDC, to invest in critical infrastructure such as hospitals, aid posts, and schools in the Kutubu area.
“We just need an aid post and staff house. The church is ready to take responsibility to register and look after the aid post, but we have nothing,” he said.
Beyond healthcare, Mr. Okene highlighted growing pressure on education services in the area, noting a population of more than 2,000 people.
Two primary schools—Baina Primary School with five teachers and Kopi Waterfront Primary School with seven teachers-are currently serving the community.
He also called on political leaders to step in and support development efforts in the region.
The incident underscores ongoing concerns about equitable distribution of benefits from resource projects, particularly in remote communities directly impacted by oil and gas operations.