Southern Highlands Governor William Powi has expressed grave concern over the replacement of Acting Superintendent Epenese Nili as Provincial Police Commander (PPC) for Southern Highlands Province.
He said the Southern Highlands Provincial Government (SHPG) was not consulted prior to these decisions and only became aware of them when they appeared on social media and in the press.
Governor Powi described this as a serious breakdown of courtesy and cooperation between the National Government and a duly-elected sub-national government operating under the Organic Law on Provincial and Local-level Governments.
“We are managing the lives and safety of almost 700,000 people in a difficult environment. Leadership is not a game of cards; we do not play with people’s lives. Heavy-handed, dictatorial-style decisions made in Waigani, without even a phone call to the provincial government, are unacceptable for Southern Highlands,” said Powi.
Governor Powi described Superintendent Nili as a high-performing law-enforcement commander.
“Superintendent Nili has worked with my government, not for my government. He has served the law, restored confidence and brought discipline back into the province. There is no justification, operational or otherwise, for his sudden removal without consultation,” added Powi.
While fully respecting the constitutional independence of the RPNGC in its operations, the Governor stressed that this independence does not mean decisions can be imposed “over the heads” of provincial institutions that carry day-to-day responsibility for governance and service delivery.
“Southern Highlands Province is not an ordinary government department to be pushed around from Waigani. We are a sub-national government with constitutional standing. There must be basic decency, courtesy and respect when decisions of this magnitude are contemplated.”
The Southern Highlands Provincial Government therefore:
1. Formally rejects the manner in which the proposed change to the PPC position has been handled;
2. Calls on the police minister, the Police Commissioner and the National Government to immediately review and suspend implementation of the directive until proper consultations are held with SHPG and relevant provincial stakeholders;
3. Requests a clear public explanation of the reasons for Superintendent Nili’s removal and assurances that police leadership appointments will not be used to settle political grievances or influence electoral processes; and
4. Affirms its continued support for professional, impartial policing and for any lawful, transparent review of electoral roll issues in Southern Highlands.
Governor Powi urged the people of Southern Highlands to remain calm, to continue supporting the police in their work, and to allow the matter to be resolved through lawful and constitutional means.
