Hands off our land

The National Main Stories

By PATRICIA KEAMO
CENTRAL Governor Robert Agarobe has told the National Capital District Commission to stop its “invasion” of land traditionally owned by his people.
Agarobe said the “ongoing invasion currently orchestrated by the NCD over land that belonged to Central is an act of aggression over customary land rights and the sovereignty” of the people of the province.
Agarobe told a consultation workshop in Port Moresby yesterday on the national sustainable land use policy that the city’s “exponential socio-economic growth and uncontrolled physical expansion” was a major concern for the people of Central “because of the coexistence of the two provinces”.
“These actions are contrary to the intentions of this policy,” he said.
“Political greed and power must not overtake the potential of this policy towards a greater development agenda.”
Agarobe reminded those in authority in Port Moresby that much of the land in the city came under the custody of the Motu Koitabu people.
He said any land use planning or sustainable land use must reflect and benefit the indigenous Motu Koitabuans who were from Central.
His statement came in the wake of the eviction of families at 14-Mile on the border of the two provinces to make way for a K100 million road project by City Hall.
NCD Governor Powes Parkop said yesterday the land in question at 14-Mile was acquired by City Hall for development lawfully and that the tittle had been confirmed by the National Court.
“As a legal entity created by Act of Parliament, NCDC has a right to acquire, hold and dispose of properties including land,” he said.
“We have the legal right to acquire land lawfully anywhere in PNG including Central.”
Agarobe told the workshop that sustainable land use policies must be done at the provincial level.
He said any sustainable land use policies should be done at the provincial level based on individual provincial issues and economic aspirations towards development.
Minister for Lands and Physical Planning John Rosso agreed with Agarobe saying some of the functions of land use should be given to the provinces.

18 comments

  • I support Agarobe for people from outside to get their hands off the Central peoples land however I also would like Mr. Agarobe to note that the central people are selling their land very cheaply and this is going to cost their future generations. In the Highlands, you will be killed if a foreigner or someone outside the clan owning the land try to lay foot to customary land for a meter or two or for just trespassing. Central people must not sell their land cheaply for few thousand bucks.

  • Land is a commodity. It can be sold and bought like a commodity. People who are financially stable live a stable life but people who are not financially stable will continue to sell their land. They need money to satisfy their needs. There is intermarriage already between people from different regions and so some of these lands fall into the hands of people from other regions. It is better to coexist than to discriminate. Leaders should be responsible when speaking on land issues.

  • Firstly;
    Register your customary land (Don’t just sell it). Secondly;
    Lease it, and the land can generate revenue for you and your children’s children to come.
    Port Moresby is rapidly developing, so think Strategically on how you can sustain your land for you and your future generations.
    Don’t just sell it cheaply and then you don’t have anywhere to go and ended up being an outcast or make matters worst, a slave on your own land working for those you cheaply sold the land to.
    Common sense must prevail, The good Governor for Central Province can help in that regard and so as the Motu-Koitabu Chairman.
    My 2t tingting..!!

  • Put simply, central people are the laziest in the country, probably the world. What more do you expect them to do? They look for the easiest way to enjoy themselves during their lifetime. Eat, drink, fuck and snore. When they run out, sell the daughters and their land, Why complain?

  • @Paul Ponaris: what an ill generalization of the whole province. People say highlanders are unhygienic but I have met highlanders who are cautious about their health and well being, so to say ALL HIGHLANDERS are unhygienic would be untrue and in fact an ill generalization of the whole region.

  • such comment by Paul Ponaris shouldn’t be aired or put on media its very disgusting , I will tell you straight on the face that central people are the best civilized people in PNG they are the good example to other parts of PNG. Don’t take this stupid political Hierarchy aggression approached and blame central for cheaply selling their Land. Do your home work before open your big mouth.

  • “As a legal entity created by Act of Parliament, NCDC has a right to acquire, hold and dispose of properties including land,”

    NCD Governor, you are correct but who did NCD acquire this portion of land from? Who were the initial title holders and beneficiaries of the land acquisition? (LOs or who?)

    Central Governor, you need to check if the LOs were actually compensated from this portion of land as it appears someone (LO) has initially sold out this land.

    NCD Governor & Central Governor, when can the public with a click of a button have access to the following;

    1. Clear demarcation of NCD & Central Province borders
    2. Outside of NCD boundaries, which are state land and which are customary land?

  • The Central Governor and his 14mile to Sogeri people are already enjoying the full service of Port Moresby City so NCDC should leave them alone. They are saying that they do not need any more services. Just simply divert the K100 Million to fix some of the streets in the suburbs of NCD. If not, please divert this money to maintain and build new roads in the rural areas like my place. Please, Honourable Menyamya MP, negotiate with relevant authorities and divert this money to build the long awaited road from Aseki to Tawa. Your people there are crying for this service; carrying coffee bags, mobile market store goods, schools supplies, etc.

  • The Ministers and people of interest have No Right!
    Why not fix the city full of settlements rather than moving into Central Province and making way for foreigners or and later see more influx of other provincial settlments in Central.

  • Central Provincial Government should check the process and time of their customary land converted to state land. And also the process of acquisition of the land by NCDC should they intend to claim ownership. Otherwise, the courts will acknowledge the title holder. The process of that involved in the conversion of customary land to state land was transparent and that the customary land owners were fully informed of, it’s a late call now.

  • The people of Central, your soft, kind and welcoming pasin has been taken for granted for far too long, to become slaves in your own land and being mere spectators.

    You all need to act now, back your governor and reclaim what is rightfully your birth right.
    I for one support the central governors call and landowners do not sell your heritage for a quick thousand for your future generations will be soon regarded as lost generations simply because you have sold that for your personal gain.

  • NCD governor here you go again. You have been evicting citizens from Paga hill, Hohola and now 14 mile. Are you our governor? Have you forgotten the human rights issue you stood for and won NCD regional seat three times consecutively. Is displacing your own country men and women with stress, no home, children and mothers leaving them helpless is insane and defeats the purpose you stood for. Who are you really? A real full blooded citizen will not do such evil to its own kind. Mr Agarobe in general sense is absolutely right. People first not your ego, greed and getting kick back is first before your people whom your power rest. You can really stand and boldly speak out for Papua people mistreatment and displacement. You have lost focus and you can’t stand up for the 14 mile citizens of this nation you have forcefully removed and displaced them permanently. We will always remember this.

  • Some hard decisions had to be made for the good of our country. So well done Parkop!

    Those who call themselves the LO’s should re-look at themselves. They never made the land that they lived nor were they witnesses of the creating. Today we all call ourselves Lo’s probably because both your parents or one could be from that area. Tomorrow, thru intermarriage, someone who typically looks, speaks and even act like a tolai, or buka, highlander, whitman or china man will be doing same and would you care? No, becoz by blood they have the right to any land becoz that’s where one or more of the family is originally from.
    This is the reality and is happening in this time and age. These lands must developed for every person present and future to benefit from it in a good way. Spin off opportunities must be created for every persons including LO’s to benefit. These lands can be deveoped and even preserved for tourism, ancestral and special sites protected yet create employment and business opportunities for all stakeholders. Leaders should be the ones leading, guiding and advising their people not on the negatives but positives that comes with such development. On that token, it is also an honourable thing for developer to follow rightful process for the land acquisition, likewise complainers to fact check before making noises that only creates more chaos and uneccessary anxieties. Governor AGAROBE! Be a leader and an agent for change. Lead your people to take advantage of such development by setting up commercial opportunities for your people now for their future also.
    God bless PNG!

  • Well stated Okae, 2022 is just round the conner so em na Justin forcefully movim people without a good repatriation plan coz all they concern of em commission money blo ol lo displa 100million kina project yah.
    Governor Parkop, place come to your sense and find best alternative options to help the homeless. They are your own country men and women. Show some love.

  • Sounds more like a boundary and title issue. The project itself is what the Central people, nation’s capital and country needs. Pakop and Agorabe should factor in the mutual benefits into the design and make the sky rail project become a reality.

  • Towns and Cities are belongs to educated elites of this country to live peacefully and work according to their qualifications and not for socalled squatters and settlements dwellers to live and create havoc environment,practice criminal activities,cause law and order problem etc.. to damage our capital city image where other foreigners and tourists who wants to spent holiday or live and work here normally feel afraid and used to make so many bad comments about PNG so let those being evicted to go back to their home provinces and settle there….

  • There’s no meaning of development, if you cannot create a dwelling place for ‘human beings,’ before you evict them for development purposes. Yes, it make sense for most, but it doesn’t make any sense at all for the evicted & the originals that God allocated to dwell upon the land.
    Business (development) is all about people. If you cannot cater for ALL and EVERY people’s needs, then you don’t have any business leading them.!
    Leaders are now running blindly, for development – in the process stampede their constituents. (What are the people? Are they not constituent of an electorate – whose got leaders?) It is very true that development is needed. But what is the meaning of development if you cannot develop the people having problems with land and housing issues?
    What kind of a leadership is this? (We must come to terms to know our responsibilities, boundaries and limits – NCDC does not own Central Lands at the infringe of the Capital City!). No body on this planet has any rights whatsoever to force people to develop (development is good and bad at the same time-so do not think it is always good.) It is in their own time and pace, they wish to develop.
    The Lands Department has been compromised and corrupted to the highest point by too many selfish and greedy self centered corrupt personals (likewise in every departments). Like the Governor (R.A) has mentioned, leave the provincial leaders to develop their own provinces. Empower the Provincial Executive Councils. NCDC you stick to your boundary and do not overlap!
    The most generous offer Central Forefathers has to offer is the Nation’s Capital called Port Moresby. It was obtained (via forces with understandings) by colonial countries and administered by the foreign powers. Laws have been enacted by foreign powers. It is time to change all laws for the benefit of its people. Whatever you – NCDC want to do – just please do but have more respect for the Central People, their Leaders and their land boundaries. This is Central people’s land. That fact must sink into those numb skulls and think before action! Take back Central Province, Take back NCDC and Take Back PNG.
    May God bless us all and keep the peace.

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