By Delly Bagu – EM TV, Port Moresby
Central Province Governor, Kila Haoda, Minister for Public Service and Abau MP, Sir Puka Temu, and Member for Kairuku Hiri, Peter Isoaimo, have all condemned the Hanuabada shooting incident.
The leaders said this is a wakeup call for the government to deal with how the buai ban is affecting the Motu Koita villages, and Central Province as a whole.
They are calling on NCD Governor, Powes Parkop, to hold talks with them and find a solution that does not victimise the traditional landowners of the Nation’s Capital.
Governor Haoda, Sir Puka and Mr Isoaimo held a media conference at the Central Provincial Government headquarters in Port Moresby today. They blamed the ban on betelnut for contributing to the two deaths that occurred at Hanuabada village last week.
Governor Haoda maintained that the leaders of Central Province were never consulted by NCD Governor, Powes Parkop, before putting the buai ban in place.
They are concerned about the level of aggression and harassment of people from Mekeo, Kairuku, and now the Motu Koita people whose villages remain on the periphery of the country’s capital city.
Minister for Public Service and Abau MP, Sir Puka Temu, said the ban should be focused on managing the litter.
Sir Puka also condemned the use of live ammunition on unarmed civilians.
Kairuku Hiri MP, Peter Isoaimo, said this is a wakeup call for the government to do something about this bylaw that keeps taking away lives of innocent people.
The Central Province leaders are now calling on Governor Parkop to meet with them this week to find better solutions for regulating the trade of betel nut.
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