No need to cut bags at Laloki checkpoint search

 I WOULD like to raise a concern over NCD city rangers, who treat the people  of Gulf and Mekeo travelling into Port Moresby like thieves. 

At the Laloki checkpoint, these people are being body-checked and harassed, and  their bags  of  food  are cut open in  search  of  betel  nuts, with no concern for their dignity. 

Recently, my uncle and my   sister  came from the village and they had their bag of bananas cut open, cutting the bananas which were then unfit for eating. 

Everyone  is  aware  of the buai ban in the city and most travellers adhere to this, so why go to the extreme  of cutting people’s food  bags as if they are  thieves  bringing   illegal items in? 

It is inhumane what the city  rangers are doing to villagers who bring cash crops into  the  city  to be sold or for the family.  

If  they  want  to search the bags, open them in a proper way and not damage the food. 

We are all Papua New Guineans  and   to  treat  a  fellow citizen like this is just absurd. 

Some city rangers are even cutting into cloth  bags with bush knives and threatening highway truck passengers. 

Is  this  legal  and  are  these  people   trained  to  carry out such searches? 

I commend new Kairuku-Hiri MP Peter Isoaimo for taking the stand to speak for his people so that the authorities can look into this. 

The attitude of city rangers towards poor travellers has caused great concern for many. 

Could our Governor Haivila Kavo stand for the Gulf people and stop this? 

Serah

Port Moresby