Police take lead in Gun Amnesty in Enga

Police in Enga will now take the lead in the Gun Amnesty program, with weeks remaining before the end of the National Firearms Amnesty and Buy-back program, on Christmas day, 25th December.

The Provincial Police Commander of Enga Acting Superintendent Daniel Yangen made this announcement following what he described as the ineffectiveness of the gun amnesty program in the province.

“In the duration of my one month serving as PPC, I have not seen any leadership in Enga that is taking full control or ownership of the gun amnesty program. I see a gun amnesty team, but it is not that effective.

The National Firearms Amnesty and Buy-Back Programme is a NEC initiative that should be managed by the provincial government working together with the provincial gun amnesty committee and the police as the implementers of the program,” Yangen said.

Coordinator of the Gun Amnesty program in Enga, Evans Alo in an interview with NBC News attributed the withdrawal of support, the lack of coordination with districts by the provincial government and the amnesty committee as the reason for its ineffectiveness.

“The committee had not gotten an answer despite asking district authorities on the lack of support and cooperation” Alo said.

Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas told NBC News, following a provincial Peace and Good Order Committee Meeting on Tuesday, PPC Yangen was asked to work closely with the Provincial Administration to carry out the National Firearms Amnesty and Buy back program.

According to an official memo by PPC Yangen, phase one of the Gun Amnesty is on awareness in the districts - which began on the 3nd of November, to end on the 8th of December.

Phase two of the program is on final surrender, verification and decommissioning of weapons which is scheduled for the 15th of December.

This is when all weapons surrendered in the districts will be collected and verified by the RPNGC armorers.

A formal handover takeover ceremony is expected on December 22nd at the provincial police headquarters with public signing of Peace Pledges, Inventory logging and formal sealing of arms to the provincial police armory by the Enga provincial governor, the provincial administrator and the District Development Chairs.

The following week, from 29th -30th December is when the post-amnesty transition and deployment of force to commence cordon-and-search operations in hotspots will take place.