Warning for officers

 POLICE officers raiding Central villages and harassing locals in the name of the buai ban have been warned by Central Governor Kila Haoda to stop.

“The betel nut ban does not apply in Central. It is only for NCD and no one will come in and harass my people,” he said.

Haoda said he supported NCD Governor Powes Parkop in his campaign to clean up Port Moresby. But the ban should be confined to NCD only.

“We have police coming into our villages and homes threatening our people with weapons and even stealing,” Haoda said.

“Is this a war? I am totally frustrated.”

He said the people of Central were peaceful and respectful of others.

“I urge them (police) to take heed of my call or we will organise a demonstration and take back our land,” he said.

Haoda said Ruburogo market had not water or toilet and was not properly planned.

“There was a lack of consultation with me on the market and most of what I heard was through the media,” he said.

Parkop said he might not have done it formally but he kept Haoda informed.

“Maybe we did not get his permission but I have apologised to him in Parliament today (last Friday),” he said.

LLG presidents for Hiri and Mekeo-Kuni Haoda Rogea and Bona Ine’e said it was not about the buai ban anymore because police officers were trespassing, stealing and abusing citizens.

Rogea said it was chaotic at the Ruburogo and outsiders were already putting up makeshift shelters.

“There are no protocols in place and the (NCDC) Rangers put there for security are like animals,” Ine’e said. 

“They just jump onto local PMVs that come in and do what they want.”

Parkop said they were management issues which he would attend to.

“I have given assurance that I will sit down with the governor and Central province leaders and address their concerns,” he said.

“But the bottom line is I am not going to let the city go back to where it was before the ban.

“We are working on a long-term plan that we will announce when mechanisms are in place.”

Parkop urged the people of Central to make use of the Boroko market which he said was handed to the provincial government in 2008.