Former Port Moresby Governor Wari Vele calls on Parkop to resign

Wari James Vele

Former National Capital District Governor Wari Vele has called on Governor Powes Parkop to resign over his mishandling of the betelnut ban, which has so far resulted in 12 deaths.
He has also welcomed the announcement of a coronial inquest announced by the Chief Secretary into the deaths, while conveying his condolences to the families and relatives of the two men killed by Police at Hanuabada Village last weekend. Mr Vele said existing laws such as the Public Health Act and the Anti-litter Act were sufficient for NCDC to enforce to control litter and diseases such as TB in the city.
"There was no need in the beginning to introduce the buai ban law. All NCDC had to do was step up enforcement of the two existing laws and we would not have lost twelve innocent lives," he said.
Mr Vele, who is the current Rigo Coast local level government president, said Mr Parkop now has blood on his hands so he should resign in shame.
"It is good Mr Parkop is willing to pay compensation to the relatives of the two recent deaths, but he must also compensate the relatives of the buai smugglers who died in the Laloki River and the Goilala woman who was killed at Hohola when perused by police," Mr Vele said.
Mr Vele challenged Parkop to explain to ordinary Papua New Guinean citizens why he is continuing to allow city rangers and the police to apply intimidating tactics in barbaric style to enforce the ban and questioned whether they were properly trained or not.
"The trust our people had in mandating Mr Parkop to improve their lifestyle, their income earning opportunities and minimise law and order situation is not happening.
"Parkop has clearly proven to be incompetent therefore he must resign in disgrace," he said.