Elder raises concerns on city issues

Faith

A CHURCH elder in Western Highlands is calling on people to have respect for the city and keep it clean.
Namba Noki, from the Koibuga Seventh-day Adventist church in Mt Hagen, said people seemed to have no respect at all for the city and its laws.
He said church members had been doing their bit to keep the city clean, but other people did not care.
He said street vendors were occupying every corner and ignored city by-laws.
SDA church members recently did a clean up, but as soon as they left, street vendors, betel nut sellers and illegal traders were back again.
“Just two weeks ago, the city was shining with many positive comments on what the church did to clean the mess,” he said.
“But now people are back (littering) which is an eyesore.”
Noki made these comments after seeing street vendors, illegal gamblers, betelnut sellers, and people with no-care attidute taking over the streets.
“This is a very shameful act and responsible authorities must act on it,” he said.
“We will not progress with such attitude.
“There are groups of volunteers and contracted cleaners who clean the city but are outnumbered by the street vendors.”
Noki said differences between the city authority and the Hagen Urban local level government must be addressed.