Briefs

‘Don’t disturb road project’
COMMUNITY leaders have given the green light to Wabag police to arrest people living along the Wabag-Kompiam road who are claiming for compensation. The leaders from Takwas to Kompiam assured local contractor Jay Sisters during the launching of the road upgrading project in Kombiam that they wanted service and urged the company not to entertain individuals claiming compensation for properties located along the road that would be removed due to the road project. The leaders told Enga Governor Peter Ipatas and Kompiam-Ambum MP John Pundari that they would not claim any compensation and allowed the contractor to carry out the road maintenance. Acting Enga provincial police commander Snr Insp Albert Beli who was present, said police would work closely with the leaders to arrest anybody trying to disturb work on the road. He warned villagers to keep clear of the road when the contractor starts working on the K8 million road project funded by Asian Development Bank.

Service must match pay rise
THE current situation on Bougainville coupled with the recent pay rise to members of the Royal Papua New Guinean Constabulary (RPNGC), including the Bougainville police service (BPS), requires all members to put more effort into serving the people. North Bougainville police commander Chief Insp Cletus Tsien, said every individual police officer had a task to do in order to upscale the work performance equivalent to the pay-rise. The police hierarchy on Bougainville is now putting into action the police commissioner’s orders to all commanders to have “zero tolerance” on any unethical police personnel.  Lawlessness in Bougainville is linked to alcohol consumption in public places and in some cases, involve some members of the BPS. It was also pointed out that overloading of vehicles, trafficking and consumption of cannabis, plus other petty offences and serious criminal cases were also on the rise.

ExxonMobil to reveal criteria
PNG LNG project developer ExxonMobil had been asked to reveal the criteria used in the selection of 22 students undergoing LNG training in Brisbane, Australia. Komo-Margarima MP Francis Potape said young men and women from the project areas of his electorate that missed out on the training had been pressing him to find out how the 22 got selected ahead of them. Mr Potape said ExxonMobil should make public whether landowner students from Hides, Angore, Juha, Moran, Kutubu and Komo project areas were among the 22. Mr Potape said he was concerned that his earlier call for first preference in business spins-offs and benefits like employment, education and training be given to Helas, seemed to have fallen on deaf ears of ExxonMobil.

Aimo happy with Baisu
CORRECTIONAL Services Minister Tony Aimo has commended Baisu jail warders in Mt Hagen for their courage and bravery in preventing what could have being a mass breakout by prisoners last month. Mr Aimo said he was thankful to the officers for doing an excellent job. He said that he recognised the efforts of these officers and would give them bravery awards. The breakout was a result of shortage of food following a dispute with a food supplier leaving the prisoners hungry for more than a month. Mr Aimo said the dispute between the contractors had been resolved and the original contractor Wiskey Fresh Ltd would re-supply rations to the jail. He also said that he would visit Baisu jail to speak to the warders and community leaders.

Free mosquito nets 
THE Rotary against malaria mosquito nets distribution campaign in Moresby South ended last Friday. Next week, the residents of Moresby Northwest would be queuing up at the same location, next to PNG Motors, Taurama, to receive their free, long-lasting insecticidal nets. Coordinator of the distribution programme, Patrick Wii said although the lines were long and the heat was unbearable, the public behaved in an orderly fashion for which he was grateful for. Mr Wii said to date, Rotary against malaria had distributed nearly 70,000 mosquito nets in the nation’s capital. He said residents must present the white Rotary against malaria form that were distributed in a house-to-house survey last month to receive their nets.