Toropo’s promotion criticised

I WRITE in response to David Lepi’s letter yesterday in The National. Promoting Toropo to major general is a shame.
As David Lepi points out, a major general commands a division of 10,000 to 16,000 troops and our Defence Force has only a few more than 2000. How can we justify having a major general when we only have 2000 men and women? Why not wait until our force reaches the right number?
My friends and relatives in the Defence Force say that troops are owed millions of kina in outstanding allowances and they do not have the proper equipment to do their job.
Those that are working in out-stations are wearing rags and many of them have had to buy and wear cheap sandshoes because their boots are broken.
During his command, Toropo has ridden on the back of talented young officers.
These young officers developed the force and got it ready for Apec.
They are the ones who created the counter terrorism force in time for Apec while Toropo was just a figurehead who contributed very little. The defence minister’s announcement of a Defence Force medium-term development plan is welcome news, however, Toropo is not the right man to carry it forward.
During four years as commander, he failed to complete almost all of the Defence White Paper 2013 tasks.
He cannot blame lack of funding as the Government has pumped millions into defence through its public investment programme.
The next generation of officers know how to operate in this digital age and they are the ones capable of developing the force to a strength of 10,000 in the future.
The Defence Force must have a new commander and Toropo must be replaced by an officer from the next generation.

Steven Mandopme
Port Moresby