Eoe accuses Haiveta of misleading executive council into deal

KIKORI MP Soroi Eoe is accusing Gulf Governor Chris Haiveta of misleading the provincial assembly and executive council (PEC) into agreeing, supporting and passing council decision to support the memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreement between the province and State over the Papua LNG project.
“The governor was aware that the draft MoU had not gone through appropriate NEC approval process, including scrutiny and clearance by the State Solicitor’s Office because of legal and financial implications of the content,” the MP said.
“The draft MoU was not discussed and approved by the NEC prior to the PEC decision.”
Minister for Youth, Religion and Community Development Eoe said since the signing of the gas agreement he has met and consulted with more than 300 landowner representatives and leaders from the Baimuru, Ihu and Pawae Papua LNG project impact areas.
He said the purpose of the meetings was to bring together landowner reps to iron out group differences that existed to share correct information regarding the content of the Papua LNG gas agreement and to establish a representative working committee to prepare and complete a unified landowner position paper at an up-coming development forum.
A number consultative meetings were held in Port Moresby and Kerema under Eoe’s leadership.
“A working committee co-chaired by former Gulf governor Havila Kavo and Jacob Kairi with identified representatives leaders from Baimuru, Ihu and Pawaea project areas, has been established and is scheduled to visit the district for further awareness/consultative meetings with village-based landowner groups this month,” he said.
Eoe said a landowner position paper would be finalised following the consultations.
A technical team has been selected to work alongside the working committee to complete the task.
Eoe said he was concerned that Pawaea, Baimuru and Ihu landowners may not be properly consulted and meaningfully engaged in an open, transparent and robust process and urged Haiveta to work with him.
“Otherwise confusion and conflict is likely to result among the landowners,” he said.
“The project well head and project-impact landowners’ Interests must be properly and appropriately reflected in the MoU.
“This is not the case in the draft MoU that has been knowingly and illegally bulldozed through the PEC process by the governor.”
Haiveta could not be contacted yesterday.