District helps police with food rations after pay issue

A TOTAL of 200 police personnel currently on the ground providing security for the Menyamya by-election were not paid, instead, the district administration provided the men with food rations.
Returning officer Nande Awape said the allocated funding from the PNG Electoral Commission and the Government had not been forthcoming as planned, due to the state of emergency and lockdown.
“We are operating on a very tight budget and were unable to feed our security personnel,” he said.
“But thanks to the support from district administration, our policemen were fed properly.”
The police officers were not paid their allowances since being deployed last Tuesday.
Menyamya chief executive officer Nicholas Abraham helped the police with food rations that were given to police elections operations commander Chief Insp John Daviaga. “I have met with the police hierarchy in the district who came to provide the security for the by-elections and saw their need for rations and contributed some,” he said.