Lawlessness in Jiwaka getting out of control

LAWLESSNESS in Jiwaka is getting out of hand as people no longer have respect for the law.
The provincial liquor licencing board has no answers to the ever increasing liquor outlets popping up as mushrooms everywhere.
Alcohol is sold as soft drinks.
Every day, drunkards frequent the vicinities of shops, bus stops, and markets of Banz, Minj, Kudjip, Kumbal and Kindeng, causing nuisance and terrorising the public.
The sight of knife-wielding men and boys frequenting public places is very scary and poses great risk to public safety.
Knives, screwdrivers or catapults are carried around in public, as if it is acceptable.
The sale of domesticated animals such as piglets, puppies and kittens is becoming a common sight.
Homebrew and marijuana are sold and consumed openly.
Jiwaka, once known as a peaceful place with friendly people where outsiders loved to associate with, is slowly becoming undesirable.
People watch helplessly as their once peaceful towns are turning into cowboy hubs.
Even the police, ward councillors and community leaders cannot do anything as they are powerless and outnumbered.
The four MPs of Jiwaka are miserably failing their people.
They are so ingrained in their own affairs and give no attention to improve the law and order situation.
There is no political will at the provincial and district levels to work with the wards, churches or institutional leaders to improve law and order.
Not only can we blame our politicians, but as individuals, we have to take stock of our individual actions and conduct.
Am I doing the right thing?
Am I respecting the laws of the land?
Charity begins at home.
The kind of society we see today is a reflection of the kind of attitude, behaviour and character that have been instilled in a person in the home environment.
Even students in high and secondary schools are no better than youths from the village without education.
There is no control mechanism in place to control the influx of people from other provinces migrating into the small townships and settling, thus, they bring in their own culture and behaviour, adding more fuel to the deteriorating situation.
The police do not have the manpower, firearms, transport and logistics to enable them to execute their duties effectively.
Police are seen involved in unprofessional conducts such as consuming alcohol openly, consuming marijuana and getting too friendly with the locals, which makes it hard for them to apprehend suspects.
As a result of lack of command and control in place, people are taking advantage and have no fear of the police force, even to the extent of having no respect for other security forces such as the defence force.
Banz is seen to be turning into a cowboy town.
Just two weeks ago, during a solar panel distribution exercise in Banz, a programme initiated by the North Waghi development authority, the people of Kimil 1 were involved in some form of disagreement among themselves because some recipients were complaining about the manner in which the distribution was done. In the ensuing conflict, stones were hurled but accidentally it hit the windscreen of a PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) engineering battalion vehicle while three officers were severely injured.
In the afternoon, a full engineering battalion marched through the town, bus stops and markets and shutdown all operations.
They took two vehicles – a 15-seater PMV bus and a 25-seater bus belonging to a PMV operator from Kimil 2 ward.
The PNGDF officers demanded K10,000 as compensation to be paid by the Kimil 1 people before the cars were released.
After two days, a live pig and K7,000 was presented to the PNGDF officers at Kerowil, paving way for the release of the two buses.
The police station in Banz is still not operating for an indefinite period after a local tribe ransacked it last month.
A local man was allegedly shot dead by policemen, in which police claimed that he was causing public nuisance and tried to attack them before he was shot dead at point blank.
Some issues such as the burning down of the buildings at Kudjip primary and high schools which resulted in the schools’ shutdown remains unsolved.
Kudjip market is experiencing frequent fights where mother’s are constantly being affected, so as business houses.
At the community level, there were instances of tribal fights where police could not intervene because high-powered guns were in the hands of civilians.
The Government has to revisit the Guns Control Act and buy back all guns that are in the hands of the people.
The 2022 national general election is just some months away and if such pressing issues are not addressed, we will experience a chaotic election.
An increase in police manpower is needed in order to work in partnership with the community leaders, pastors, youth leaders, women leaders, teachers, other public servants and concerned stakeholders to combat drug and alcohol abuse that is eating away the fabric of our beautiful Jiwaka society.

Tony Palme Kip,
Teacher,
Waghi Valley Secondary School,
Bunum Wo