Hela landowners told to take issues to local MPs

Finance Minister and Tari-Pori MP James Marape has called on Hela landowners to raise their grievances through their local MPs.
He made the appeal to citizens of Angore, Hides and Komo to stop using threats, intimidation and guns as means of getting grievances heard and settled.
“I know the present issue they have is a K20 million claim for Angore township and another K12 million for their business development grant allocated in 2011, which is presently locked in court by the doing of one of their own tribesmen,” he said.
“Our people must restrain from threats and intimidations, and if genuine issues remain outstanding then civilised dialogue is the way to go for us now and in the future.
“While there might be some elements of genuineness in the issues raised, the continual manner in the use of unlawful means to secure attention is repulsive in the face of many issues our Government must handle not only for Hela and SHP but the entire country.”
Marape said the Government was committed to deliver to the landowners as the most fulfilling Government so far.
He said for Hela and SHP, gas and oil fields had been producing since 1990, yet only after 2012 they
were seeing serious signs of development.
“If the genuine legitimate commitments aren’t responded to then I will be the first to support you tribesmen for court action as a final resort but not the use of violence and destruction,” he said.
“I am again opening my office to our people in Hela to channel your issues through instead of your continual use of threats because one day soon your guns will be rendered useless.
“The hand of the Government is much longer then what many of you think.”
Meanwhile, the Angore Wellhead Leadership Committee (AWLC) has assured the Government and developer ExxonMobil that it would provide security for the wellheads at Angore PDL 8.
Chairman Hari John Akope said: “We do not guarantee the roads, they belongs to anybody, it is a law and order issue and the government can deal with it. We do not guarantee the safety of machines kept outside of the wellhead areas.”
Akope said the destruction of machines on Tuesday by opportunists took place on the land belonging to the nine clans of the Teni tribe along Tagali River, 3-4km from the PDL 8 area.
“This destruction has nothing to do with the Southern Highlands election issue, with equity, royalty or levy ands it has nothing to do
with Prime Minister Peter O’Neill or his running of the country,” he said.
“It has to do with a demand for unjustifiable security fee.
“Such fees if it ever existed, should rightly be paid to the four wellhead clans for security of the gas flow.”