District offices deserted

TABIBUGA and Kol district offices in the remote Jimi district, Western Highlands province, are not functioning because the public servants are not present.
It was alleged that the officers have been operating out of Mt Hagen and Banz since early this year.
Peter Kaula, a community leader from Koskaiye village in Kol sub-districts, said only the teachers and health workers remained to serve the 45,000 people in the district.
He claimed that because there were no public servants available, government services to the people were non-existent.
Mr Kaula said people who needed help urgently had to travel to Banz or Mt Hagen to look for government officers, including district administrator Lawrence Itali and his deputy Michael Mek Nants.
He urged Western Highlands acting provincial administrator, Malcolm Culligan, to ask the officers to return to their posts in the district or be replaced.
Mr Kaula also called on local MP Wake Goi to ensure that all public servants were in the district and carrying out their duties.