| Business |
Bedlam at Baisu
PARLIAMENT should be deeply concerned
at the continuing signs of a collapsing province evidenced in
the Western Highlands.
For many months we have traced the accelerating decline of law
and order and the ensuing impact on life in the highlands
province.
The recent turmoil in Mt Hagen received wide coverage and the
present artificial calm in our third city fools nobody. The
underlying causes of unrest in the province remain untouched.
It may well be that political opportunists, unemployed youths
and a greedy minority of villagers living close to the city have
combined their diverse energies and targeted Mt Hagen.
That will be paraded as the excuse for recent events in that
city. But it does nothing to address the underlying question;
why is there so much anger simmering just below the surface in
Mt Hagen and to a lesser extent, the Western Highlands province?
It is difficult to escape the answer that the province has been
poorly managed for many years resulting in the pent-up community
wrath now starkly evident in the Highlands capital.
Our continuing preoccupation with Mt Hagen and other highlands
centres was reinforced yesterday by a startling story from the
WHP’s Baisu Corrective Services Media Unit.
Our correspondent revealed a bizarre scenario.
Based on rumours that Baisu was to undergo substantial
renovation, families of Correctional Service officers and the
usual cadre of aimless youths have allegedly been systematically
demolishing and looting unoccupied facilities and industrial
workshops at the jail.
Empty houses at the compound have reportedly been torn down and
a wide range of furnishing including stoves, refrigerators, fans
and even electrical wiring have been stolen. Only iron roofing
and unusable walls have been left standing.
Within the jail buildings, the industrial section has allegedly
been vandalised, with electrical wiring ripped out and the
electrical tools of the maintenance and carpentry sections have
been carted away.
The officer in charge of properties is reported to have said
that equipment used in the jail’s rehabilitation programme and
valued at more than K60,000 had been looted.
Worse, the property officer said that he feared the situation
was beyond the control of the CS officers.
The reported response from the acting jail commander scarcely
seemed to address such a situation.
It was made up mainly of a “warning” to the youths to stay clear
of the jail at night or face the consequences.
He added that he did not want these activities taking place
while he was in control and that his men “would not be easy on
anybody caught”.
That statement, if correctly reported, appears to ignore the
main issues and shows an alarming ignorance of the powers of CS
staff and officers.
The issue is whether or not the families of CS staff and
officers have been involved in the partial demolition of the
very jail for which they work.
Here are a few questions that need answers.
If CS families have systematically looted the jail compound, why
have their members not been arrested and charged with a wide
variety of criminal offences?
Why are there apparently too few honest CS officers and staff
available to control this extraordinary situation?
Who are these youths who apparently lurk around the jail and are
they beyond the reach of the law?
Are some of them the offspring of CS officers and men?
By what right does the acting commander announce that “his men
would not be easy on anyone caught?”
Attacking citizens yet to face a court is a criminal offence; no
matter how angered the CS officers and staff may be, they have
no right whatever to bash up those they believe guilty.
The establishment of guilt is not the responsibility of CS, the
RPNG Constabulary nor the Defence Force.
It seems obvious that respect for the law will continue on its
break-neck fall to zero as long as situations such as this
continue.
If jails cannot be run without becoming the target of those
tasked with running them, then how can the rest of the community
have any confidence that they will be protected from similar
attacks?
CS Commander Richard Sikani shares with Police Commissioner Gari
Baki the unenviable task of trying to restore discipline, ethics
and efficiency to forces that appear remarkably short of all
three qualities.
 
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