District lacks law and order, police presence

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Law and order was lacking in the Goilala district of Central because there was no police station commander there since 1997, a village chief says.
Chief of Tapini James Komae said there was no magistrate there either.
Komae said that for about 20 years, there was no public servant living in the Tapini local level government area, which was the headquarters for the district.
A Catholic priest who has been living in Tapini for the last 19 years said there was a real absence of not just the judiciary services but every sense of sovereign authority.
“The key element of sovereignty here which is the district administration, is absent here at the Goilala district,” Father Brian Cahill said.
“The second key element here in terms of law and order is the police which is also dysfunctional in this place.
“We need senior (police) officers who can command respect in the community.
“There are large number of murderers and rapists out here but the police could not arrest them because they are afraid of them.
“We need somebody with a rank of inspector to command the police station here.
“At the moment, the acting OIC (officer in charge) of the station here is a new recruit from Bomana Police College.
Cahill spoke last Saturday at the Tapini Sacred Heart High School during a visit by a national and supreme court judge Justice Panuel Mogish.
Mogish thanked Cahill for his dedication to the people of Goilala in providing education and health services when the government system had failed. Mogish urged Goilala MP William Samb to work in partnership with the judiciary and the church to bring development into the district.
“I am inspired about the difficulties you sustained when staying out here,” Mogish said.
“When I took the opportunity to look after Central as a judge administrator in 2009, I made it my business to come and visit Tapini in Goilala district. In 2009, I have travelled the length and breadth of Central as a judge to some places where judges have never been to before.
“I’ve been to Kwikila, Moreguina, Kupiano, Bereina and now in Tapini.
“My next place to visit is at a place called Magarida and the last places will be up at Tolokuma and Woitape.
“We have a lot of good things that we can make happen in the district, but we need dedicated leaders to run the show.”
“The system of government here has collapsed and the CatholicChurch is the only body that is running the district here.”
Samb said it was a challenge for him and the district administration to develop the district using the limited resources they have.