Clan leaders asked to solve disputes

THE Minister for Petroleum and Energy Nixon Duban has called on the landowner leaders of PDL 1 and PDL 7 to move forward the clan vetting and the alternative dispute resolution.
Duban said this was needed in areas where there disputes arose.
“There is work to be done and the cooperation of leaders is an important ingredient which will enable a smooth progress,” he said.
Simon Ekanda, one of the landowner leaders, had called on Duban to withdraw the ministerial determinations in the PNG LNG project and allow the ADR to proceed.
Ekanda claimed that the PNG LNG project did not comply with the law to identify landowners.
But Duban reminded Ekanda of what had transpired since 2009 and the various court cases and landowner beneficiary identification carried out by the department as part of the State team led by Secretary for Justice Dr Lawrence Kalinoe.
“The ADR and clan vetting complement each other,” Duban said.
“Issues or disputes arising out of administrative function or process that leads to establishing the basis of my ministerial prerogative under S.169 Oil & Gas Act 1998, are taken up by ADR to resolve.
“And that is the complementary factor of both processes that have different legal basis, but achieves the desired outcome – properly identified beneficiary clans.
“I urge landowner leaders to peruse the relevant court decisions and the Supreme Court references in relation to the current ADR and the landowner beneficiary identification and also chart an amicable way forward.”