New police barracks for Madang police

Governor Pariwa presenting the dummy check to RSEA directors *(Image: NBC Owned)*

Two police barracks in Madang province had their groundbreaking ceremony last week.

The two include a barracks for a new mobile squad under the Northern Mobile Group (NMG) and the rundown and condemned Kusbau Barracks.

The new mobile squad barracks will be located on Madang's south coast at Asuar in Ward 16 of Ambenob Local Level Government, where the old leprosy hospital used to be.

This infrastructure will cost over K10 million funding from the Madang Provincial Government.

Kusbau will have fourteen new houses built at a budget of K7million.

A dummy cheque of over K9 million was also presented on Friday by the governor to the contractor, RSEA Limited.

The facility will host 25 officers, and Governor Pariwa has made a callout to other Madang parliamentarians and the national government to also chip into this very important project that will benefit the entire province.

"The reason why I have opted for a mobile squad to be based in Madang is because in the past ten years, the Madang Government has spent a lot of money in bringing mobile policemen from Morobe and Eastern Highlands to help attend to our law-and-order issues.

"Law and Order in the past ten, fifteen years has dwindled. We must not repeat the mistakes of the past," Pariwa said.

He said these developments are manifestations of the Madang Provincial Government's commitment to the law-and-order sector in the province.

President of Ambenob Local Level Government and Chairman of Law and Order in the Provincial Executive Council, Dum Bal applauded Governor Pariwa for his foresight and wisdom to seriously address lawlessness in the province.

He said the mobile barracks would be a first development in his LLG in many years.

Provincial Police Commander, Superintendent Robert Baim said the mobile barracks is not just a barracks but the beginning of a new chapter in policing in Madang Province.

"Once completed, police presence will be improved in all six districts in Madang Province. Madang is a mining province, and we need to have our own mobile police officers to maintain law and order.

"Our Northern Mobile Group is already stretched, and this intervention is significant to relieve them," Superintendent Baim explained.

PPC Baim also thanked Governor Pariwa, his government, and the Madang Provincial Administration for always stepping in to assist police in their operations.

Governor Pariwa emphasised his government will continue to invest heavily in law and order to make Madang safe again and more conducive for investors and developers.