ENGA Governor Peter Ipatas has called for a total ban on firearms in the country.
Mr Ipatas made the call following a decision by the Provincial Peace and Good Order Committee to declare the province a fighting zone.
The decision gave police special powers to attend to a number of tribal fights in the province.
Tribesmen were using high powered firearms in those clashes, often making it hard for police to stop them.
Mr Ipatas said police should stop issuing new firearm licences and urged people in possession of firearms to surrender them.
He said criminal activities and tribal fights were very common in Enga and in PNG because guns were in the hands of the people.
Mr Ipatas said that people with licensed guns were not using them to protect themselves but were using them to assist in criminal activities and tribal fights.
He said there was a huge build up of firearms in Enga and even small villagers were in possession of high-powered firearms.

Four held over Kokoda death

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
SWIFT action by the police and villagers resulted in the apprehension of four suspects accused of killing a youth along the historical Kokoda Track between Oro and Central province last weekend.
Police said yesterday that the suspects, all from Efogi village in the Central province and aged between 15 and 19, were charged yesterday with one count each of wilful murder, attempted murder and armed robbery.
They are now in police custody at the Boroko police station and will appear tomorrow before the Waigani District Court in Port Moresby for committal proceedings.
The suspects were apprehended by their fellow villagers and handed over to the police officers at Efogi village yesterday.

Shop boss in court

A MANAGER of a supermarket at Gordon in Port Moresby on Monday appeared before the Waigani Committal Court after police charged him last weekend for allegedly receiving a stolen laptop computer set.
William Khoon Lai, from China, was charged last Saturday after police officers conducted a raid at the supermarket’s premises reportedly in search of the computer set after a complaint was laid with police.
Khoon is out on K200 bail and will appear before the same court next month.

Lae city authority at work

THE rains in Lae in recent months have taken its toll on roads but the Lae City Authority is doing all it can to prevent potholes.
It is placing workmen and machines on sections that require urgent work like streets in town and Eriku.
Residents appreciate what the city authority is doing but they are demanding a complete resealing of the entire road network in the city.
“Quick fix jobs like these do not last long because the rain will destroy the road again.
“We need the Government to pay some attention to our roads,” Daka Mote, a resident of Tent Siti said.
“We went to the elections and cast our votes to get services. We want to see our roads fixed, our lives improved, no more talk please.”

Health centre reopens with extra charge

THE Malahang Health Centre has reopened its doors after it was closed for a week last month, with an increase in its out-patient fees.
Officer-in-charge of the health centre Sr Manzia Bomi said that there was an increase in out-patient fees from K2 to K3 for the adult to recoup the monies they had spent on the damages caused by thieves.
The authorities decided to close the centre to allow for maintenance to be carried out, with funds reserved for the purchase of drugs in time of need.
She said the increase of K1 would be for only two months and once they recouped the money that spent on the maintenance, the fees will be reverted back to K2.