Sir Bob: Respect and value freedom

By JINA AMBA
PAPUA New Guineans have been urged to value and respect their freedom.
Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae made the remarks during a commemoration of Remembrance Day in Port Moresby on Friday.
He said people in this country enjoyed a better life today because of the sacrifices and services of fallen heroes.
Sir Bob said unfortunately, this freedom fought for had been abused.
“This very freedom is being abused by many, in particular criminal elements do not respect others’ freedom of movement and personal and State properties,” he said.
Sir Bob called on the Government, especially the law and justice sector agencies, to enforce severe penalties provided under the Criminal Code Act to deter criminals from advancing their illegal operations and citizens intending to pursue a life of crime.
He appealed to this group of people to cease their illegal activities and change to become law-abiding citizens of their respective communities.
“We can appeal to criminals to stop terrorising the business community and citizens, but the Government must have programmes in place for this group of people to be engaged in, if we are to restore peace and harmony in our local communities in the country,” Sir Bob said.
He said State agencies responsible for the youth needed to do more to initiate programmes and projects for the unemployed to participate in growing the economy, nation-building and sustaining their livelihoods.
Sir Bob said another contributing factor to the abuse of the legacy of freedom was ethnic violence, which was becoming a frequent occurrence in the country’s major cities and towns.
He said this type of violence had to cease immediately because it had made the country an unsafe place to live in.
“Ethnic violence must not be tolerated because it defeats the legacy of our forefathers who sacrificed their lives so that we all can live together in peace and harmony in diversity,” he said.
Sir Bob said this was the greatest challenge today’s generation faced which was to demonstrate that the legacy of the forefathers was a true representation of their identity in the modern world.
“The Remembrance Day legacy serves to remind and call on us to appreciate and commend our fore bearers for their services and sacrifices and most importantly, inform us of what they would expect of us today as we face our own generational challenges,” he said.