Simbu police upgrade

By Bustin Anzu

THE people in Chimbu Province have witnessed the renovation of their police station and police barracks this week.

The Kundiawa police station and the Egga police barracks at Wara Market, both in the township of Kundiawa, were given a facelift by the office of National Planning and the Simbu provincial government.

People in Chimbu have seen a milestone achievement in the renovation of these two important facilities, which have not seen any changes over the past 30 years.

Assistant commissioner of police for Highlands, Teddy Tei, acknowledged the department of National Planning and the Simbu Provincial Government, for initiating the rennovations

“This is a rare occasion, where we have the police station as well as the police barracks being renovated. We have not, for a long time, seen such assistance, and the official opening of both projects is a huge achievement for the constabulary in the province,” he said in Kundiawa on Wednesday.

He also said that law and order problems are a disease in society and it is not only their (police) efforts that would contain it, but everyone’s and every stakeholder’s efforts and support.

Provincial police commander, Superintendent Augustine Wampe, said that the Kundiawa police station was the face of the police in the province and with the new-look police station, officers will be motivated.

Wampe commended National Planning and former governor, Father John Garia, and Simbu provincial administrator, Joe Kundar, for the great achievement in sponsoring the renovation of the two important police facilities in the province.

“Since our police station and the barracks are renovated, I would like to assure the administrator, Joe Kundar, and the new governor, Noah Kool, that we are ready to provide accommodation for more officers to police the province,” he said.

The opening was witnessed by Simbu governor Noah Kool, vice minister for Agriculture and Member for Nomane Karimui, Mogereima Wei, deputy secretary of National Planning, Joe Kapa, and Simbu administrator, Joe Kundar.

The neighbouring provincial police commanders of Jiwaka, superintendent Simon Niggi, and Eastern Highland, superintendent John Philip Kale, were also invited and were present to witness the facilities.

Supt. Kale, who was the former police chief of Simbu, during whose tenure the proposal was first initiated, thanked National Planning and the Simbu provincial administration for making funds available for the project.

They also witnessed administrator Kundar handing the keys to the facilities to govenor Kool, who in turn handed them to PPC Wampe.

Both projects took approximately four months to complete and each had cost half a million kina each.

The police station was renovated by Verotto Brothers Limited, a local building construction company, while the 40-men barracks was a collective effort that included department of Works, Kundiawa Technical School and Kamanaku United church.