Bulolo title decision disputed

 By PISAI GUMAR

MEMBERS of 31 clans are disputing a Bulolo district lands court decision to award the customary ownership of a 45,000ha land to the Mai clan in Buang, Morobe.

The land covers the area from Cliffside to Baiyune in the Bulolo district.

The clans will appeal the decision made last Friday to the provincial lands court, a spokesman said.

Yamap clan spokesman Kapi Dumlu said the Mai clan was from the northern end of Buang in Bulolo and it was questionable how they bypassed Mumengteng, Bangulum, Sambio, Baiyune and Yamap people to claim ownership of the Cliffside to Baiyune land.

“Something is wrong here, the decision is biased. We aren’t happy. The land mediators didn’t come from Bulolo and they don’t understand the geographical location of the disputed land,”  Dumlu said.

“The decision was illogical and we’ll launch an appeal against the district court decision through the provincial lands court to set a new trial date for fresh hearing from all 31 disputing parties,” Dumlu said.

Other disputing clan leaders also expressed the same sentiments over the decision and pledged support for the appeal.

It was claimed that the disputed land was owned by Katumani clan from Buang.

However, the title was later transferred to Kindaga land group from Wandumi village in Wau in 1980.

The late national court Judge Timothy Hinshcliffe quashed the court decision over customary ownership title from Kindagain 2000 and the case was pending before the lands court until May 3 this year.

The court awarded the customary land title to Mai clan from Buang over the land from Cliffside to Baiyune after district lands court hearing in Bulolo last Friday.