by Sylvester Gawi
Member for Tewai-Siassi, Dr. Kobby Bomareo has called on locals and residents at Wasu LLG station to respect the rule of law-and-order and embrace development initiatives established by the government for their benefit.
Dr Bomareo said this when meeting with affected communities from an ethnic clash last weekend that left several homes and properties destroyed and people severely injured and hospitalized.
“This is the first time that Wasu station has experienced such ethnic clash with several casualties reported,” the local MP and Wasu resident told the people.
“Wasu is situated on government land and everyone settling here should be law abiding and respectful for one and other. No one is a landowner here; we are all custodians of government services regardless of ethnicity.”
The clash started on Saturday night from a drunken brawl which went out of hand resulting in homes, trade stores and several properties being burnt and destroyed in retaliatory attacks.
Police manpower were brought in from the Lae Metropolitan Command on Sunday morning and restored normalcy to the station while investigations are ongoing at the moment. The local MP says Wasu residents are peace loving people and he commended them for ensuring that no further problems were caused while the police are ground.
“I will make sure those involved in the attack and fight are apprehended, charged and sent to prison in order to set a precedent for future trouble makers.
Wasu resident, Waro Ayangke on behalf of the affected SME owners and residents who lost their properties handed over a petition to the District Administration, MP and Police to impose a total liquor ban at Wasu, bring in regular police officers and maintain peace and unity at the station.
He thanked community leaders, the local MP Dr. Kobby Bomareo and the Police for quick responses that prevented the problem from escalating.
“We will work together to ensure those involved in instigating and partaking in the fight are brought before the law,” said Ayangke.
Dr Bomareo said the Tewai-Siassi DDA is taking a proactive approach on addressing law and order in the district through construction of new police stations and houses at each of its three LLGs, purchase of new police vehicles for the LLGs and ammunition and firepower to complement the police reserve program of the Morobe Provincial Government.
“We don’t want to be reactive to situations and so we are building our own infrastructure for our police which will attract credible and strong regular police officers to be deployed to our LLGs,” said Dr Bomareo.
Meanwhile, the National Examinations for Grade 12 at Wasu Secondary School was completed successfully on Friday despite the ethnic clash and fear being instilled among the residents.
