Chaplain receives wheelchair

 By JUNIOR UKAHA

A DISABLED member of the police force in Lae was presented a wheelchair by a security firm last Friday. 

Guard Dog Security Services (GDSS) gave the wheelchair to Momase regional police chaplain chief inspector Johnsford Tura, who was partly paralysed after contracting severe malaria.   

Tura, 66, from Orokaiva, Northern, joined the police force in 2003 and served as a chaplain until last June when he fell very ill after contracting severe malaria.

“It (malaria) has affected my eyes, knees and joints,” Tura said.

“Because of this I can hardly walk and had to stay in the house,” he said. But by God’s grace I have been able to use my chair to move around,” he said. 

Tura, who has seven children and 12 grandchildren, said he had called the police superintendent of administration in Lae and told him of his situation and asked if he could operate in the house.

“He agreed so here I am operating in the house,” Tura said.

“Police officers and their families who needed marital counselling and other spiritual assistances come and see me in the house,” Tura said.  

Tura resides at the Labi Police Barracks at East Taraka in Lae. 

Tura was in his house when Lae Central police station commander Chief Inspector Fred Kaiwa, Australian Federal Police officer Sgt Colin Twist and GDSS operations manager Ben Johnson delivered the wheelchair to him.

Tura was speechless when he saw the new wheelchair off-loaded from the AFP vehicle. 

“It is a great surprise. Thank you,” he said. “Thank you very much and God bless,” Tura said. 

Johnson said GDSS has assisted many people in many ways and would continue to help the needy. 

He said the company was not only here to make profit but has a social obligation to assist the community where it operated. 

 “The company is always willing and happy to assist,” Johnson said. 

“It’s not only the police and the chaplain but we have assisted the Angau hospital’s cancer unit with wheelchairs,” he said. 

“We’ve heard through the AFP that the chaplain needed the wheelchair so we thought it would be a good thing to help him,” Johnson said. Johnson said the wheelchair was among 50 new ones the company brought from Australia. Kaiwa thanked GDSS for giving the wheelchair to one of Lae’s policeman.

He said GDSS and Lae police have a good relationship in fighting crime in the city.

“We look forward to continue our partnership,” Kaiwa said. 

“We are all together in the business of fighting crime,” he said.