Law and Order
Law and justice are both a basic human right and a fundamental precondition for a well-functioning market economy. For this reason, law and justice programs have been identified as an expenditure priority under the MTDS and the EPGDP in order to fulfill the overall dream of making Enga Province, a compelling place to live, work and invest in.
Law and order situation in Enga, no doubt, has been a serious issue but has subsided recently. Lack of business investment and broad-based economic activities in the rural communities have resulted from the recent history of chronic law and order situation but due to continuous awareness by the provincial and district law enforcing agencies in urging the people to ‘put down arms and pick up spade’ is having a positive effect in the lives of the people.
People are beginning to see that peace in the community is a vital pre-requisite for community development and respect for the rule of law in modern Enga is the only way to solving conflicts and to maintain lasting peace.
Expansion of the district magistrates, village-based magistrates, police force and peace officers and ward-based law and order committees has generally resulted in arresting law and order in Enga.
Law and Order Manpower Ceiling
Overall Law and Order Sector
The appropriate lead agency for Law and Order in the province is the Law-and-Order branch. Through this section the Enga Provincial Government is committed to creating a conducive and compelling place to live, work and invest in.
Goal | Provide a safe, secure, and stable environment for all citizens, visitors, communities, and businesses to conduct their affairs freely.
Improve capacity in manpower ceiling, logistics, accommodation and resources to the police force and the village court manpower for their efficient operation.
♦ Transfer magisterial staff and policeman/women every after 2-3 years on a rotational basis
♦ Reintroduce the Sectoral Patrol approach to maintaining a missing link with the people and especially to downgrade and eliminate the dreaded impacts of tribal fighting.
♦ Improve staffing and District Court House facilities in the other four districts apart from Wabag and Porgera to commence court hearings in Wapenamanda, Laiagam, Kopiam and Kandep. Absence of District Court Magistrates in some districts for a prolonged period is a growing worry, and within the first five (5) years a Magistrate be sourced and stationed in the districts concerned.
♦ Maintenance and Re-establishment of all the Districts Rural Lock Ups, and adopt programs to re-utilize prison manpower to attend civic and public work activities:
♦ Since Porgera is a major mining region with an ever increasing population coupled with escalating law and order issues there is an urgent demand for establishing by all stakeholders of the mine to establish a proper structured police station at Porgera to address all criminal and civil cases in Porgera comprehensively with.
♦ Ongoing training of Village Court Officials, and improve their working conditions: Combat the law-and-order problems, especially tribal fighting and drug abuse, with improved mitigation capacity, drastic measures and techniques to reduce the intensity of fighting and killing in the battle fields
The following programs have been identified as priority and are listed in the plan for implementation over the five (5) years and beyond.
♦ Maintain consistent funding of village court officials and routine activities and provide Logistic support to Police must be maintained and improved to rapidly respond and arrest offenders in the communities together with OMS officers. Immediate response by law enforcing bodies as strategy to addressing conflicts in the communities is the way to contain law and order in Enga Province.
♦ With the assistance of a major church group to Construct a Juvenile Detention and Rehabilitation Centre in the Province for counselling and pilot testing of drug addicts, child prisoners and delinquents.
♦ Carry out awareness programs/activities to address domestic violence and youth petty crime problem
♦ Increase police manpower in rural set up by incorporating peace officers as auxiliary Police and Adequate funding of probation and parole services. Build and maintain rural lock-ups in all districts and sub-districts.
♦ The Police Department, EPG, PDA and Barrick to immediately negotiate for constructing a structured police station at Porgera to address all law-and-order issues holistical in the region. The Porgera mine project is of national importance, and we cannot afford to play second fiddle to law and order in the frgile region.
♦ Adequate funding of village courts and proper in-service training for court officials
Twenty-five years of stable leadership and consistent administrative machinery have resulted in EPG attracting more foreign government and NGO donor agencies to invest in all sectors in the province. ’This has been our strength and a Key strategy for addressing our development agendas.
