Church issues eviction notice

THE Lutheran Church in Madang issued eviction notices last Friday to hundreds of people living along the north coast road near the mission’s Nagada facility.
The 14-day notice is for people to dismantle their homes and vacate the place.
Lutheran Church secretary Bernard Kaisom said the land used was in compliance with the developments planned by the Madang government.
It is understood that people living there were paying yearly land rentals to local landowners in the Nobonob area.
Kaisom said the first eviction notices were issued to people living there – potions 69, 70 and 78 – in 2014 but they took out a court order against the provincial government which was said not to be the legitimate land title holder.
He said the mission, as the land title owner of the three potions, issued the eviction notices to dismantle their homes and vacate the land.
Kaisom said the Lutheran Church constitution clearly stated that it was the only authority that had powers to discuss land issues and not any members or leaders of the church.
“The church constitution says that only the national church council has authority to discuss land issues,” Kaisom said.
He said the eviction issue had turned into a law and order situation and police were involved in conducting the eviction.
The Madang government erected billboards along sections of the north coast road along RD Tuna Canners and Nagada Junction stating the types of development that would take place in the area once evictions were conducted and land made available.