Leaders want cleaner town

ALEKANO landowners of Goroka town in Eastern Highlands want to bring back the lost pride of this once beautiful and peaceful town.
In a second meeting at Asariufa last Friday, leaders of Kama, Nagamiufa, Asariyufa, Okiufa, Seigu, Gehamo, Kafuku and Faniufa described Goroka town as “going to the dogs”.
They said there was rubbish piling up and being thrown all over the place, there were a growing number of street sales in town, people carried bush knives in public areas, with fighting, killing and pick-pocketing evident and an increase in people drinking alcohol in public places.
Asariufa leader Michael Gotaha said as a result,  “people are living in fear and it is creating a bad business environment”.
He said, as landowners of Goroka, they could not sit down and let the pro­blems continue.
Seigu spokesman Jack Gopave blamed this on a lack of political leadership in the province and, in particular, Goroka.
Deputy Governor Koni Sari said this was a growing problem in all the major towns in the country.
“It is an attitude pro­blem created by men and men alone should solve it. Finding solution through such gatherings is important,” he said.
He admitted there was no political leadership because of the infighting between politicians and reported corruption in the public sector.
Other community lea­ders called for a curfew, a boost to the current police manpower, establishment of a police station for Goroka district to ensure honesty and loyalty could be brought back to police force.