The Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) is sending a message out to those who would engage in corrupt practices to be recruited that it will not hesitate to remove them from recruitment training if they are found to be involved.
That message was shown today when the Defence Force hierarchy removed over 160 male and female trainee recruits from the Goldie River Training Depot outside Port Moresby, who were found to have entered without going through the proper checks and processes.
The PNGDF Chief of Training, Colonel Dickers Esso, said they are implementing the Commander of Defence Force (CDF) Directive Number 16, which was signed on 30th June 2021.
The Directive basically states that those found to enter the Force through illegal means, will be removed.
“What we are doing now is something that our own personal branch or the HR branch would have done during that phase to identify those criteria and correct them. But unfortunately passed on the burden over to the training branch for us to accept and continue to run the training. This is not the first time and we have been setting a bad precedent,” said the Colonel.
“That has gone too far, and we are putting our foot down to correct that process. We are saying that now we take the steps to ensure that those who meet the requirements can go through the training and serve our country.” Colonel Essos said the PNGDF is a state institution, and everyone can join, but must meet those requirements specified by the Defence Force.
“We have allowed for abuse, and we have continuously let this go on, but we are saying enough is enough. We have to correct that process and ensure that those deserving young men and women can go through training.”
“We have to send a signal that it’s not going to be an issue of corruption and abuse, it has to stop,” he added.
The PNGDF is doing this to protect the recruitment system from corruption and abuse and restore some credibility in the system, that was lost over time.
Meanwhile, a total 166 out of the 354 overall total of new recruits of the first 2021 intake, have been removed from training after being identified as not meeting certain requirements or have come in through fraudulent means.
Also, the current Commanding Officer of the Goldie River Training Depot is currently on suspension until this matter is resolved.