Hanuabada LLG claims K20mil

 A PORT Moresby land group wants compensation from the state for the acquisition of its customary land at various locations in the city.

The land includes the ATS settlement area where a new road linking Central City is expected to begin construction.

Leaders and clan members of the Dubara Idibana Incorporated Land Group from Hanuabada village, National Capital District, met last weekend to raise their concerns.

They accused the government of denying them their customary rights to equal participation in development, through the Lands Department, Office of Urbanisation and the National Capital District Commission.

Group chairman Willie Tokana, paramount chief Hedu Ova Boge and other leaders are demanding K20 million from the national government before any new development starts.

The planned road is to connect central City via the ATS settlement area.

“I wish to place on record that the national government did not properly acquire parts of our customary land where we have ultimate customary rights over them including portions of land around the airport area which extends from the ATS settlement towards the public cemetery land at 9-Mile,” Tokana said.

“It is also very disheartening to see foreign companies, multi-national corporations, politicians and big businesses engage in land-grab using their financial powers while we, the customary landowners, have simply been ignored by the state agents.”

The Dubara clan rejected that the Oro settlement at ATS was given as a pilot project by former NCD politicians Philip Taku and Sir William Skate.

They said it was traditional owners Ova Boge, Ruma Varona and Maso Henao who signed the initial agreement and gave their consent to the late Oro Settlers Association chairman Jerry Asina in 1995 to use the land.

According to the clan members, the settlers had not complied with the conditions of the agreement and after 16 years they wanted their land back.