Disrespectful of Atiyafa, Vaki to miss leaders’ summit

 THE Royal PNG Constabulary (RPNGC) started the new year with a very bad start with its political head and commissioner misunderstanding their oath to serve the country when both were absent from the recent leaders’ summit in Port Moresby. 

Even though the constabulary is crippled with disciplinary problems, human rights abuse, inadequate logistical support, accommodation problems, etc successive and present governments have been prioritising its reform and modernisation. 

For them to be absent was totally disrespectful to the government and the people of PNG. 

As the minister responsible, it was compulsory and extremely important for Robert Atiyafa to attend instead of giving lame excuses for having ‘good reasons’ not to. 

Police brutality has been going on for years and nothing serious has been done to deter rogue police officers from stepping out of the rule of law 

It was the mandated duty of the minister and the commissioner to tell the summit what they were doing to address these on-going issues affecting the constabulary. 

The force has been receiving overwhelming support from the successive governments and the current government has allocated more than K3 billion for the police modernisation programme. 

If the prime minister, chief secretary, senior public servants, state ministers, MPs and other dignitaries and delegates attended the summit, his reasons stated were shallow and unwarranted. 

He and Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki should immediapologise to Chief Secretary Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, the national executive council, MPs, provincial administrators and most importantly, the people of PNG. 

It was totally outrageous for these two leaders to miss this important, strategic summit and failed to even send a representative when so much has been spent on the constabulary. 

Instead of giving excuses and shifting blame, they should explain to the people the progress, developments, reforms and modernisation strategies being implemented within the constabulary.

Mortimer Steve Yangharry

Waigani