Call for Potape to be reinstated

KEY LNG project landowner groups from the Komo-Magarima electorate  are insulted over the purported withdrawal of ministerial portfolios from Francis Potape, demanding that he be given back the ministries.
IN a statement, the group said an official position has yet to come from Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, who is away overseas after it was reported last week that Potape was stripped off  the climate change minister and minister assisting the Prime Minister on LNG matters .
The landowner leaders, from Juha (PDL9), Hides (PDL1), Hides 4 (PDL7), Angore (PDL8), Moran (PDL5 and 6), Kutubu (PDL2) and Gobe (PDL3), whose land contributed 100% of the 6.3 trillion cubic feet of gas to the PNG LNG project, said they welcomed the appointment of Potape as the best political outcome for the gas reserve custodians.
 “The withdrawal of the ministerial portfolios is a slap in the face for the people of Hela, Komo-Magarima electorate and, most particularly, the impacted upstream PNG LNG project area landowners.
“The people will not accept this unfortunate political outcome of the National Alliance-led government as this electorate is host to the PNG LNG project, particularly the Angore gas project (PDL8), Hides 4 (PDL7, Hides (PDL1), Southeast Mananda oilfields, Moran oilfields and the electorate holds most of the PNG LNG project facilities, namely the ExxonMobil’s Komo International Airport, Hides conditioning facility and more than 52km of the pipeline.
“The people of Hela are pro NA as this government has delivered the Hela province and the LNG project. Of course, three members of parliament from Hela, including the governor of Southern Highlands, are in government,” it said.
The people of Hela and landowners do not deserve this  because of some minor hiccup  within the United Resources Party.
The statement said that the Hela people know that the URP  is a major coalition partner in goverbnebt  but anything to do with URP should bot affect the the Hela people and resources owbers.
Hela people and landowners have wholeheartedly supported the government in delivering the project by sigbibng the UBSA in Kokopo, East Bew Britain abd the LBBSA in June in Juha, Abgore and Hides.
The leaders said they had delivered the project regardless of many criticisms and obstacles and they look forward to continue supporting the project until its successful operation.
 “We, the people of Hela, particularly the people of Komo-Magarima electorate – custodians of the hydrocarbon rich electorate – take this action as unwarranted, untimely and a big slap in our face,” the landowners said.
The statement said “The PNG LNG project is our project and we feel that the government does not have to play around with us.”