Stop these terror squads now

 ALLEGATIONS of harassment of innocent people suspected of smuggling betel nuts into Port Moresby by the National Capital District Commission’s city rangers are becoming a major cause for concern.

Many villagers from Gulf and Central provinces travelling into the NCD to sell their fresh produce and other foodstuff claim they are being victimised by this undisciplined force.

The city rangers are unemployed young men from settlements in NCD who have been engaged by City Hall to enforce the ban on betel nut sales in the nation’s capital.

Under Governor Powes Parkop’s master plan to beautify the nation’s capital, they have been engaged as casual workers to help rid the city of betel nut vendors and trash.

Before the ban, the city rangers targeted residents and other people in the NCD but extended their enforcement activities to include rural people travelling into the city when the ban came into effect in January.

Their performance has been woeful, to say the least, and the mounting criticisms and allegations of harassment of innocent people highlight an urgent need for the NCDC to either rein in or disband them.

Seemingly, what started as a genuine initiative is turning into a disaster for the NCD governor, who has been under all sorts of pressure over the betel nuts ban.

Amid constant criticisms by certain sectors of the NCD community and recent concerns by Central and Gulf leaders about the lack of consultation on the ban, the last thing that Parkop needs is a bunch of unruly settlers who think they are authorised to terrorise people suspected of smuggling betel nuts into the city.

Last week, a group of people from Gulf threatened city rangers manning the checkpoint at Laloki on the city outskirts with black magic following claims of constant harassment, theft and insulting behaviour.

One of the aggrieved Gulf men, Willie Jarra, of Karami village, in the Malalaua district, claimed that when they arrived at the checkpoint last Wednesday evening, a city ranger ripped open the zipper of his bag thinking it contained betel nuts and took K2,500 and his mobile phone.

“The city rangers are continuously harassing us and we are sick and tired,” he said. “I will use puripuri (sorcery) to punish those who are responsible for the loss of my K2,500.” 

Another Malalau man, Sam Ume, from Tapala village, has called on the NCD government and administration to discipline the city rangers after he lost all his sago and fresh produce during a thorough check by city rangers at Laloki.

As well, he alleged that policemen at the checkpoint allowed the city rangers to forcefully dump his garden produce as he watched helplessly. “We respect the betel nut ban put in place by Governor Parkop and will continue to respect it but why are we being treated like criminals. What laws have we broken?”

Ume added: “We cannot do anything because the policemen laugh and swear at us and allow the city rangers to mistreat us.”

He warned that his villagers would use sorcery to kill the city rangers at the checkpoint as they have had enough of this mistreatment.

Are the NCDC administration and the NCD police command aware of these incidents? 

If not, they should make it their business to immediately investigate and take preventive measures before something terrible happens.

In particular, Parkop and his administration must take full responsibility for any unruly behaviour by the city rangers who have been accused of harassment, intimidation and theft. 

City Hall should not condone their unlawful activities by keeping quiet.

As it is, a Gulf man has claimed that a city ranger robbed him of K2,500, which is a lot of money to rural folk like him. 

While his allegation needs to be substantiated, the incident should at least draw the attention of the relevant authorities to the alleged unlawful behaviour and activities of their workers.

After all, the NCD should not be treated as a banana republic that allows terror squads to roam at will.

Dealing with this in a proper manner now will save great grief when things get out of hand, as they are bound to.