Developer and Poreporena landowners caught in land feud

 By JUNIOR UKAHA

WORK on land portion 2585c along the Poreporena Freeway by Garamut Enterprise Ltd came to a standstill yesterday as angry landowners stormed the property and demanded that their land be given back to them.

The landowners numbering more than 50 from the Mavara Idiba clan of the Reva Boge Besena ILG in Hanuabada, converged at the area with placards and slogans accusing the developer of “stealing” their land.

One placard read: “Garamut Enterprise we want our land back now” whilst another read: “This is not a private property we want our land back”.

The landowners spokesperson Mase Peter, said his people were frustrated that developer, Garamut Enterprise Ltd, had went ahead and developed an extra 5ha of their land without consulting them.

According to Peter, the developer was given 13ha of land in portion 2585c by the Lands Department to develop late last year under an agreement but the developer knowingly went ahead and acquired another 5ha of land from portion 2584c which is traditional land. 

“Our people own 23.6ha of land in portion 2584c and we are not going to back down and accept only 18ha,” Peter said.

The protestors said they had made five attempts in the past to settle the matter with the company management but their concerns “had fallen on deaf hears.”