Address armed holdups in Kokoda

LAST Wednesday, four PMV trucks were held up between 1am and 3am at the Evasusu/Boru village road junction by about 60 armed men.
The PMVs travel around that time of the night because most of the Kokoda Highway is riddled with potholes, broken and washed-out parts.
They travel that early to reach town at a reasonable time.
The passengers were searched and robbed of all their valuables, including cash and gold nuggets.
Two girls are rumoured to have been abducted as well.
What is unthinkable is that there have been holdups almost every week between Tara village and Hamara, which is Northern Governor Gary Juffa’s mother’s village.
These villages are in the Kokoda local level government (LLG).
Nothing has been done to address this sickening situation by Juffa, the Oro administration and the police.
In another incident last week at Fala village, also in the Kokoda LLG, an young businessman, 26 years old, was robbed of substantial amount of money and gold nuggets.
He was murdered.
Why hasn’t the agriculture sector developed in order to absorb the school dropouts who have now turned to crime to survive?
The governor should build a police post either at Ilimo or Hanjiri villages and equip the post with enough resources so that those who are struggling to earn a living will enjoy the fruits of their sweat safely.
I believe the police officers will do their job if they are properly housed and resourced.
Can Sohe MP Henry Amuli, who is also from Kokoda, do something about this endemic issue of holdups that is destroying people’s lives?
The Kokoda Tracking Authority should take the issue up with the Australian, Japanese and the American governments for possible funding for the establishment and resourcing of this proposed police post as the Saiho and Kokoda rural police stations are too far from each other, therefore, police are not able to monitor the section between the two stations properly.
I understand the need to survive, but I am appealing to young people to stop these armed holdups because the law will catch up with you soon.

Charles Jasari