Down goes PM’s fence

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By HELEN TARAWA
EVEN the prime minister’s residence in Port Moresby has not been spared as the National Capital District Commission pushes ahead with its plan to remove all razor wire fences in the city.
City Manager Bernard Kipit told The National that the razor wire fence at Peter O’Neill’s Touaguba residence was removed yesterday as a message to businesses and residents that the commission was serious about seeing through its plan.
“The boys removed the razor wires from the prime minister’s house and we’d like to use that as part of our drive to inform everybody that using razor wire fencing is illegal,” Kipit said.
“This is part of the razor-wire fence eradication exercise and the prime minister wanted his house to be the first.”
O’Neill was approached for a comment yesterday.
Kipit said they were now targeting the homes of ministers and members of parliament which still have razor-wire fences.
The removal of razor-wire and Colorbond fences around the capital city began in 2006 as part of a 10-point plan in City Hall’s fencing policy.
“We’ve done a lot of removal of razor-wire fences in other houses too but we are now continuing the exercise,” he said.
NCD Governor Powes Parkop said removing the razor-wire fence from the PM’s house should convey the message to city residents that no one will be exempted.
“No one is an exception in the exercise. Even judges’ house have been subjected to this exercise,” Parkop said.
“I therefore urge everyone to cooperate.”