Agarobe condemns Government

CENTRAL Governor Robert Agarobe has condemned the Government for blaming the people of Central for selling their land, saying that there is no control on land-grabbing.
Speaking during grievance debate in Parliament on Friday, Agarobe said it was the state and relevant government departments that were failing the people.
“I don’t like my people being blamed for selling land,” Agarobe said.
“We have such institutions as the Land Board and Physical Planning Board which should be putting in place measures to avoid illegal buildings going up.
“High-profile land-grabbing is taking place and if the small people are doing it, how can we stop it at the top level?” he asked.
Agarobe made reference to portion 1221 land in Central which was part of the old Ilimo Farm.
He claimed that the land belonged to the people of Hiri and Koiari and they wanted to stop this happening at the highest level.
According to Agarobe, police were called in to evict the people living on that land which he said was not right.
He said the land was about 199 hectares located in Ilimo at 14-Mile within the Koiari rural local level government of Kairuku-Hiri.
“Portion 1221 shares a common boundary with Adventure Park and Pacific Adventist University.
“The land is part of the old Ilimo estate which the Central government bought for K12 million through a Bank South Pacific mortgage in 2002 and 2003.
“Titles of the land of old Ilimo Farm including portion 1221 were transferred to the Central provincial government on March 8, 2012.
by the Department of Lands and Physical Planning,” he said.
“The city of Port Moresby infringes on land that belongs to the people of Hiri and Koiari and the issue we have now is the land-grabbing creeping in and we have to stop this from happening.
“This is happening at the highest level and we must stop it,” Agarobe said.