99 land mediators to complete training

 By ELLEN TIAMU

MOROBE will this  week complete training for 99 of its land mediators who will be based in local level governments and districts, an officer says.

The province has 33 LLGs, with three representatives selected from each by the districts and endorsed by the LLGs.

Provincial Land Dispute Committee member, Tony Ase, said in Lae they had instigated induction courses for mediators in Morobe and had completed training for nine districts, except Tewae-Siassi, Kabwum and Finschhaffen.

The committee was created under the Land Disputes Settlements Act as an advisory body to the provincial government on matters relating to customary land disputes. 

Ase said for the planned land courts to happen in the province, preparation had to begin at the ward, district and LLG levels to be in line with provincial and national directives.

He said while a list of mediators was gazetted last year, some names were incorrect, while others had died. So revocations and re-appointments had to be made. 

“There is no proper data of land dispute cases in the wards and districts and many land cases are still outstanding because they are not settled quickly and many problems escalate as a result of this.”

Ase said the final list of mediators for Tewae-Siassi, Kabwum and Finschhafen would be trained and sworn-in next week in Finschhafen. 

“In the past, there has been no proper documentation and records kept and part of the training now is to make obligatory that proper forms recognised by law are used.”