Kiap: Don’t generalise all public servants as wasters

Caption: Honk Kiap reviewing the guard

By MATTHEW VARI

Wednesday, October 16, 2013 (Midweek Chronicle, PNG)

THAT was the call from National Capital District Commission Deputy City Manager Honk in his keynote address to members of the Port Moresby Traffic Police Division and senior constabulary member present at the opening of the new traffic police station at Four Mile.

He referred to the high expectation the public had for the police, without knowing how they live and come to work.

“A lot of politicians say the public service is a wastage- saying that the government wastes so much money on the public service.”

“But don’t generalise all public servants, but be specific and tell us who, where, or what department is not doing the right thing and which is wasting money.”

“Otherwise there are some department who are doing their jobs, sacrificing their lives to do their job,” he said.

He said that by generalising all the public servants, those who do work hard get the blame for those who do not do anything, he made special reference to the Police Traffic Division who worked hard despite the horrendous conditions in a condemned building.

Kiap referred to the many challenges the city authority was faced with in the rapid growth the city is currently experiencing.

“The rural population is flocking into the city, and we cannot work alone to address this issue and we will need the police.”

The deputy city manager took the opportunity to challenge the police hierarchy from the Commissioner up to the Minister.

“Let me put this challenge- when we are putting up the office, or changing the outlook of police we must also bear in mind how does a police man live and come to work.”

“Is the policeman’s salary meeting the expectation of the public today- maybe some of the policemen today are living in a settlement, when they are supposed to be living in a police house.”

“Maybe some young policemen who are supposed to be living in the single quarters, which have been converted to married quarters.”

He added that all those challenges were real- urging the department not to decorate the policemen with the uniform and a building, but to equip the policemen from the house to the office out on to the field.