The responsibility to uphold law and order in Bougainville is not limited to Bougainville’s law and justice sector alone.
President Ishmael Toroama made this statement during the opening of the 2021 Legal Year themed; ‘Partnering with the Community to Ensuring Effective delivery of Justice in Bougainville’.
Speaking at Arawa Town on Thursday (February 11th), President Toroama said Bougainvilleans must uphold law and order in the communities as responsible citizens.
“At this juncture our social responsibility is to ensure the 98 percent outcome of the referendum comes to fruition and that means we must ensure our communities and our people are safe and we are law abiding citizens,” President Toroama said.
“In Bougainville, our law and justice sector agencies may be under capacitated but this does not mean we become ignorant and forget our responsibilities as good citizens.
“In areas or places where there is no police or government presence, let us not ignore the law or take the law into our own hands.
“As responsible citizens and as a people working towards achieving an independent Bougainville, we must always remember that we are all called to act in the best interest of Bougainville and that is to materialize the 98 percent of the Referendum outcome.”
President Toroama said this year, the Autonomous Bougainville Government will be working towards building the capacity of its law and justice sector.
He outlined that his government is looking at increasing the capacity of the Bougainville Police Service ranks and building a new correctional services facility to remand prisoners, as well as strengthening other relevant agencies within the sector.
Present at the legal year opening were members of the Judiciary led by Justice Sir Kina Bona, who officially opened the legal year, ABG Attorney General Ezekiel Massat, Central Bougainville National MP Sam Akoitai, BPS Chief Francis Tokura and members of the legal fraternity with Police and Correctional Services officers.
