Dept urged to change officers

 By JEFFREY ELAPA

A LANDOWNER chief has called on the Government to play a neutral role when dealing with landowners issues.

Chief Aliawi Lulu, the paramount chief of the 34 tribes in Tuguba Himiya, are the legitimate landowners of the Juha PDL 9 and Hides PDL 1 in Hela. He said the Petroleum and Energy Department secretary Rendal Rimua should rotate staff assigned to carry out clan vetting.

Aliawi said the department should treat clan vetting and landowner identification seriously because they dealt with land issues and lives of the people.

He said the department officers must be changed before the clan vetting because there had already been allegations of bribery.

“I have witnessed it and I can reveal their names,” he said. 

“We want others who have been assigned for Moran or Kutubu to facilitate the forum.

“We want honest and reliable officers free of corruption to work on clan vetting, not people with questionable motives and influenced by people who are not legitimate landowners,” he said.

Aliawi called on the department to organise the forum at the Koroba government station so everyone, including government officers, could witness the clan vetting.