Pokanis updates new minister on issues

Posted by The National

NEW Correctional Services Minister Chris Nangoi was welcomed yesterday by the acting commissioner Stephen Pokanis and his staff at the Bomana Correctional Services Institute in Port Moresby.
Pokanis welcomed Nangoi and told him that the institute had many challenges and issues to be addressed, but also had many resources.
“Since its inception in 1965, the inherited facilities have all deteriorated over the years since Independence and are badly in need of upgrading,” Pokanis said.
“We need more houses to accommodate our staff and more dormitories to house detainees as the prisons are overcrowded.
“But apart from all these challenges, we also have many resources to offer, we have to re-strategise and look at the resources available to us and use them to address issues and overcome challenges.”
Pokanis also called on the new minister to allocate funding to upgrade and maintain facilities and build new dormitories.
He also called on Nangoi to push for staff pensions and to allow for leave of absence for low security risk detainees on parole.
Nangoi thanked Pokanis and said that in trying times and with limited resources, he was looking forward to working with like-minded leaders in the institution to address the issues.
“We will work towards activating leave of absence for low risk detainees and parole for detainees.
“We will also start taking stock of what we have and grow crops and use the human resource we have in the institution.
“Our duty is to ensure that the detainees are secured, rehabilitated and also doing things that will help sustain themselves,” he said.
Nangoi said he bring in people with experience and knowledge at all levels who could help to drive change in the correctional services.
He also thanked the Prime Minister James Marape and the Government of the day for having faith in his leadership and appointing him as the New Correctional Services Minister.
Former CS Minister Roy Biyama did not attend the handover ceremony as he was away attending to his electorate.

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