Prabowo Reveals Reason for Delayed Visit to NTT Earthquake Victims

President Prabowo Subianto has revealed the reason he only now visited East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) following the earthquake, on Wednesday (26/8).

Prabowo arrived in NTT 11 days after the M7.7 earthquake struck Flores, NTT.

He admitted he deliberately did not come in the early days after the quake because he wanted to give regional governments the opportunity to focus on their work.

“Indeed, I deliberately did not want to come in the early days because I wanted to give all agencies the opportunity to serve the people directly,” Prabowo said during a meeting on the NTT earthquake response in Nagekeo, NTT, Wednesday (26/8).

Prabowo said that when central government officials, including the president, visit a location, regional governments often lose focus.

According to him, instead of focusing on disaster management, regional officials become busy with ceremonial matters.

“Sometimes when too many central officials come, concentration is divided. Regional officials have to pick them up and so on,” he said.

Although he had not been physically present, Prabowo assured that the central government had been monitoring conditions on the ground. He also said the central government had deployed services and assistance.

“If we come and then only look at the disaster but cannot overcome it, cannot send aid, then in the end it is less effective,” he said.

At the same time, Prabowo expressed his gratitude to all ranks who had worked well in handling the NTT earthquake.

“So after I received your reports, I monitored, we have done our best. Of course we want to do more, yes,” he said.