Tribes: Accept us
The National, Wednesday January 15th, 2014
FIVE Hagen Central tribes in Western Highlands conducted a peaceful protest yesterday to show their frustration over officer recruitment by the Correctional Service.
The people protested when they realised some applicants from surrounding areas were not accepted but those allegedly with connections to CS were.
More than 200 people from Elti, Panimbe, Kewilka, Moge Pangamp and Warike marched with banners and placards to the Baisu Correctional Service to petition the CS commissioner to revoke the recruitment this year.
They handed the petition to Baisu Jail commander Timbi Kagula for Commissioner Martin Balthasar.
Spokesman for the Panimbe tribe Andrew Namnam said they did not receive any spin-off benefits since the institution was established in their area in 1960.
Namnam said none of the 42 applicants were accepted from Baisu and that was not fair.
“It is believed that nepotism has crept in the recruitment. None of our applicants were accepted. We want Commissioner Martin Balthasar to take the matter into consideration and accept at least 10 of our local applicants,’’ he said.
Namnam said the surrounding communities were being friendly to the institution by looking after the facilities, families of the officers and helped officers with arrests after jail breakouts.