By ANDREW ALPHONSE
DEVELOPING the country’s oil and gas resources by the barrel of the gun is not the answer to address landowner related issues, Shadow Minister for Petroleum and Energy Francis Potape said yesterday.
The Komo Margarima MP said landowner issues and disputes should be resolved through peaceful negotiations.
He was responding to reports that about 100 mobile squad members had been deployed to protect oil sites in Southern Highlands province following threats by landowners.
Mr Potape told The National yesterday that, the use of guns would not solve problems dealing with the development of our resources.
“They have to be ironed out through proper negotiations,” he said and called on the Department of Petroleum and Energy and Oil Search Ltd to let the people negotiate and resolve issues surrounding the NW Moran project.
A forum was recently deferred.
Mr Potape also asked the department and the company to engage counsellors, local government council presidents and elected leaders from the province to address the issue instead of just hand-picking a few individuals of their choice.
“This would only frustrate genuine landowners,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Pai Parabia Resources Owners Association, the landowner group from NW Moran, has given the department and Oil Search until the end of the week to reconvene the forum.
Mr Edward Alina said negotiations between the various parties were still underway and they would wait until the end of the week before deciding on their next course of action.
He urged landowners to refrain from disrupting the projects.
In Moro, police removed a roadblock at the Kutubu access road at lunchtime yesterday.
Police sources said about 10 youths blocked the access road leading to the main oil fields but their quick action prevented further trouble.