Biyama approves CS plan for community correctional centre

CORRECTIONAL Service Minister Chris Nangoi has received the go-ahead from Middle Fly MP Roy Biyama to build a community correctional centre (rural lockup) at Balimo for Middle Fly, Western.
In a small ceremony yesterday, Nangoi thanked Biyama for the initiative to secure the title for a government-owned piece of land to be used.
“We cannot sit around and expect development to come to us,” he said.
“What the Member for Middle Fly is doing is something that must be adopted by all districts to work together with Government departments to support them to deliver much-needed services to the people.”
Nangoi said similar support to the CS to establish a rural lockup was also given by Bogia, Madang, which saw MP Robert Naguri chipping in with K50,000 for initial work.
Biyama said since it was for a government service, his district had taken the initiative to ensure that the land and title were cleared and made ready for use.
“Traditionally owned land has a lot of issues associated with it, but since the land allocated is state land and has been available for some time, we decided to use it to build a rural lockup to address law and order.”
Nangoi said he would work towards ensuring that seven rural lockups were in Balimo, Finschhafen, Baiya, Bogia, Menyamya, Pomio and Tapini.
He said the CS would be focusing on starting work on major prison facilities at Mukurumanda in Enga, Buin in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and also launch the soon-to-be-completed Hawa Jail in Hela.