Deal with landowner issues first

PIU incorporated land group (ILG) chairman Martin Tapei, claims to be the legitimate and principal landowner of the Wafi-Golpu mine project area.
According to his statement, the area is known as portion 8c Milinch of Wasus, Fourmil Markham, covering an area of 50,000 hectares of customary land where the Wafi Golpu project SML10 is located.
I doubt whether a special mining lease (SML) was granted to the developers.
The Piu ILG now strongly supports its claims of land ownership and that all project stakeholders are required to work or deal directly with it to foster the mining project to proceed without further delays.
The basis for their claims, according to a recent press release, is that they have complied with the ILG registration requirements and have registered and obtained a special agricultural and business lease (SABL) of over the 50,000 hectares.
It is quite interesting that a minority group of people can be able to register this vast track of forested and mountainous territory that is occupied by about seven other villages and landowners.
It seems this was done in secret, with undue haste and hidden motives driven by greed.
For the interests of any persons or groups out there, the Piu ILG’s claims of land ownership of the Wafi-Golpu project area and its SABL had been decided upon by the courts and thrown out in its entirety.
One of the main reasons why the courts declared Piu ILG’s claims null and void was that when they initially lodged their application for the SABL in early 2001, but they did not have the knowledge, approval or consent of all the other villages and landowners within the affected area, as required by law.
Tapei appears to be ignoring the court’s decision and is continuing to support the ILG’s claims through press releases.
He should realise that his press releases have no weight in law as his claim of landownership has been nullified by the courts.
The press releases can be seen as an incitement and recipe for animosity and future conflicts between them and the three groups (Yanta, Hengabu and Babuaf) whom are identified as owners of the Wafi-Golpu mining project area by the Courts.
Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu and his administrator should address the Wafi-Golpu project land ownership and boundaries issues rather than concentrating too much on the deep sea tailings issues which seems to be going nowhere.
It is importance that these issues are discussed and resolved first before anything.

Lorenitz Gaius,
Hospital Hill, Lae