Bogia still in the dark

 By SHIRLYN BELDEN 

SEVENTY years have lapsed and landowners of Bogia town, in Madang, are still waiting for payment of K1.25 million from the Lands and Physical Planning Department, Bogia MP John Hickey says. 

Hickey, who is Public Accounts Committee chairman, told the Lands Department during the PAC inquiry last week the money provided by the Government for the landowners of Bogia town was misused years ago and had not been recouped and paid back.  

He said the department had performed very badly on that part and must take the necessary steps to resolve the matter. 

Hickey said the money was provided by the government and allocated for payment for Bogia town. 

It was acquired by the Lands Department from Finance and after enquiries by the Madang provincial government it was told that the money was used and would be paid back. 

Hickey said to date that had not taken place. 

“We want some solid inquiries into this so that we can get some settlements into this matter,” he said. 

“The people of Madang have been very patient for 70 years and when we have that money approved by NEC it got lost somewhere we don’t know.”

Hickey said such was one of the longstanding issues at the department that previous managements had not attended to and had tarnished the image to the department. 

He urged the department to provide investigations into the matter.  

He encouraged Department Secretary Romily Kila-Pat to attend to the matter as the people of Bogia had endured enough.