Minister orders top cop to draft succession plan

By JUNIOR UKAHA
POLICE Commissioner Tom Kulunga must put in place a succession plan, Police Minister John Boito says.
Boito said it was now urgent because there was a big age and leadership gap among members of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.
Addressing 232 recruits who graduated last Friday, Boito said succession was important as older officers were in command positions.
“I see now a big gap between the junior and senior leadership of the constabulary.
“Who will take over from the senior police management within the next three to five years?” he said.
He said most senior officers were at their retirement age.
“Who takes over when they retire? That is a big issue we must seriously look at and address as a matter of priority,” he said.
Boito said succession plans were important because they identified potential young policemen and women and groomed them to become leaders.
“Commissioner Kulunga, the ball is now in your court. You will have to draw up a programme that identifies young officers and give them all the support, guidance, education and mentoring required to enable them to take on the next level of command,” he said.
He told the 182 men and 50 women on parade that they needed to understand the reason why they joined the constabulary as it would determine their future in the organisation.
“If this is just a job that you ended up in after being unsuccessful elsewhere, then you had better
re-motivate yourself into liking and loving this job.”
“If you joined up for the wrong reasons then you will end up making miserable the lives of those whom you have sworn an oath to protect and serve,” he said.
He said the primary objective of the constabulary was to protect and serve the 6.5 million people of the country. “Policemen and policewomen are servants of the people. Understand our laws, our Constitution and this profession that you have chosen on your own free will so that you can understand your greater responsibility and duty to the people of Papua New Guinea,” he said.