Hela teacher falls victim to highway robbers

 By PETER ESOP WARI

A TEACHER in Hela has become the latest victim of armed robbery in the province.

Mai Pakaya, who teaches at the Itipu community school in the Tari-Pori district, was struck on his right arm at Ambua Gap.

The robbers who thought he was carrying the school’s subsidy money hit him with a bush knife when they saw no cash among his belongings.

Hoiebia primary school principal Kiak Lepal said because of the unavailability of banking and post office services in the province, teachers had to travel to Mendi and Mt Hagen.

He said the latest incident which happened two weeks ago had created fear among teachers and many were avoiding travel on the Highlands Highway.

Lepal said the victim was one many teachers who had been harassed and injured is a sad account for teachers in the province.

“Many teachers and governing members of schools were constantly moving this year to Mendi to straighten school accounts and have new signatories as directed by the Southern Highlands provincial education division,” he said.

Lepal said all schools were ordered to have three or more signatories to counter sign withdrawal or transactions and a lot of cost had been involved in doing this and while trying to come back home after a day’s work. 

“Rumours that schools are getting big money from the government for free education had already hit the streets and teachers have become a target for criminal elements,” he said.

Lepal said he was happy that Hela would soon have its own bank as construction of the bank was underway and urged the authorities to speed up the process.

He also wants a post office in the province.

“These are the two main services we are going after to another province and should have been in place long ago,” he said. 

He said money for schools were meant for the running of the school but this was spent unnecessarily to travel to obtain services the province lacked.

A primary school teacher, Wilson Hape, said people lives were at risk and urged police to patrol the area.