Locals praise Jiwaka police

By YVONNE HAIP
POLICE in Jiwaka won rare praise from locals on Tuesday for enforcing law and order and arresting law breakers.
Members of the police force, who are often criticised despite their best efforts in maintaining law and order, were praised by Jiwaka people in the presence of highlands divisional commander, Chief Supt Teddy Tei.
The locals said although petty crimes such as drug and alcohol abuse soared in the province, law and order was always maintained.
The locals said this during a protest organised by the activists against corruption from local non-government organisation, New World Order, and frustrated officers who carried out the recent census exercise in the province.
They said police in Jiwaka had done justice to the people by arresting and charging an election official who allegedly conspired with several others to misappropriate K500,000.
This money was intended to pay those involved in carrying out census exercise and election common roll updates in the new province.
The locals commended police for “a job well done”, saying it was time police throughout the region identified and arrested those who were mismanaging people’s funds.
Youth representatives said since Chief Insp Billy Kombel had taken over as acting provincial police commander, Jiwaka had changed for the better.
They said people now had respect for the law, something that had been nonexistent in the past.
They said Kombel was making the police presence felt in the province despite limited manpower and resources.
The youths and other locals were speaking during the protest staged at the Banz police station where locals who took part in the census exercise and common roll update were demanding payment of their overdue allowances.