AN independent mediator has been appointed to resolve the landowner issues of the Northwest Moran project area, secretary for Petroleum and Energy (PE) Rendle Rimua said last Friday.
Mr Rimua said this when refuting media reports by the chairman of Hiwa Tuguba Hides Association that PE lacked leadership. He said the issue was about infighting among the landowner factions in Northwest Moran project area on the representation in the Development Forum.
Mr Rimua said the PE had gone out and advised the landowners to select their representative at the Forum based on names on the social mapping done by Oil Search.
“The consultation process with the landowners and the stakeholders including the developer was undertaken prior to the development forum,” he said.
He added it was important that the landowners attended this pre-forum to discuss their various differences.