First Constable Moses does his bit at remote post in East Sepik

By LULU MARK

FIRST Constable Moses Pilai is doing his bit in the national response to the global coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic.
His police post and area of operation is tucked away in the remote Numbo Local Level Government of the Yangoru-Saussia district, East Sepik.
Moses is in charge of the Tangori police station which has eight regular policemen and 16 auxiliary police officers.
It is one of the two police stations in the district and located near the busy Sepik Highway. The other police station is at Yangoru, manned by six regular policemen and more than 40 auxiliary officers.
This is his ninth year as a policeman, and his second year in Tangori.
Moses wanted to become a police officer to contribute to the maintenance of law and order. He prefers working in his district as he knows the culture and the way people live.

“ The land mass is huge and the Sepik Highway is one of the biggest in the country. There is not enough policemen compared to the population.”

He completed Grade Eight at the Yangoru Assemblies of God Primary School in 2003. In 2005, he completed Grade 10 at the Yangoru High School.
He moved to Lae to take up a business management course at the Lae Technical College which he completed in 2008.
“I worked with a lot of companies in Lae and Port Moresby but found no satisfaction in the jobs I did.”
So in 2012, he decided to join the Bomana police training college to become a policeman.
“I am now a Frist Constable by rank and have a team of policemen working under me. We are a great team working to maintain law and order in this part of Sepik.”
He is married with two daughters. His family lives at Tangori.
“Law and order issues are on the rise in the province.

“The land mass is huge and the Sepik Highway is one of the biggest in the country. There is not enough policemen compared to the population.”
When the national emergency was declared last month, Moses and his team began a 24/7 operation monitoring the movement of cars and people along the Sepik Highway.
“We are monitoring people travelling from Wewak town to Yangoru, Kubalia, Maprik and all the way to Ambunti-Dreikikir and Nukulumi in West Sepik.
“We ensure that the vehicles are not overloaded. And the maximum number of people in small trucks should be five to ensure social distancing. We man the highway day and night.”
His team understands the risk of Covid-19 spreading to the province from the west, especially by those involved in vanilla trading.
“Vanilla trading here is big. Travelling to Vanimo and back is a regular thing. Anyone with the disease can come cross the border and spread it anytime.”
In their type of work, they need protective equipment which they do not have right now.
“We have families and to be at work without proper protection is a concern for us because we could contract the disease and then infect our family.”
Moses and his team want to be appropriately and adequately equipped for the task they are doing, even if it seems small on the national Covid-19 response level.