‘Problem’ folks need guidance, says mayor

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday 10th January 2012

THE lord mayor of Mt Hagen city, Western Highlands, wants the provincial government and seven local parliamentarians to build a rehabilitation centre for people with “attitude problems”.
Rabiamul ward councillor Jacob Michael said yesterday that there was a decided lack of respect, care in the city where people did not give way to vehicles on the road, threw rubbish everywhere and engaged in petty crimes on the streets.
He was concerned such actions gave the city a bad image and for which it had received bad publicity in the past.
He said these issues were the result of attitude problems.
Michael said in order to rehabilitate people with attitude problems, a proper rehabilitation centre had to be set up in the city with full time counsellors.
Youths and people with such attitude problems living in the city or surrounding villages must be identified by their councillors and church leaders and sent to the rehabilitation centre where they must be trained in how to respect other people, public facilities and learn how to engage in small income generation activities.
He said after three months of training, they must be sent back to their communities and a new group of people must go in and receive their training.
Michael said public awareness carried out by authorities in the city in past years had not made a positive impact.
He said talking would not change the lives of people with such attitude problems.
Sending people to jail for a minor crime would not help rehabilitate them as they would learn about committing bigger crimes.
Michael said such a centre would help the people to turn away from their bad habits.
He said when people changed their attitude, there would be order in the city and that would gradually help improve its image.
Michael said many were afraid to enter the city at the moment.