By JOEL K ANDREW
Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Maprik, John Simon, has expressed concern over recent law and order challenges in the district, attributing them to a lack of competency among public safety authorities in East Sepik Province.
Simon urged the youth in the electorate to turn to agriculture as a means of earning extra income, emphasizing that involvement in crime and lawlessness is not a sustainable option for livelihoods.
He called upon local police personnel in East Sepik to elevate their efforts in ensuring public safety for citizens, suggesting the reassignment of incompetent officers to other centers and bringing in officers from other provinces who are committed to their duties without bias.
“If police officers are incompetent and weak, we need to reassign them to other centres and bring in officers from other provinces, who are serious about doing their job without fear or favour,” Simon asserted.
Regarding the recent murder of a prominent businessman that sparked conflict between two parties, Simon appealed for calm and urged adherence to the legal process.
“Since our MP, the late Gabriel Kapris, passed away, the district has lacked leadership, so I speak on his behalf in calling for peace in the electorate,” he stated.
“Let the law prevail; tribal fighting is not how we resolve problems.”
Simon announced plans to conduct a peace campaign in the electorate, leaving on Thursday, November 15, 2023, in a bid to prevent the conflict from escalating further.
