Hides landowners urge govt to implement proposed projects

By PATRICK TALU
A HIDES 4 petroleum development licence 7 (PDL7) area landowner leader is urging the national government to implement all nominated projects under the infrastructure development grant (IDG) agreed to in the licenced-based benefits sharing agreement (LBBSA).
Andy Hamaga, leader of the Aja clan representing Geterenda Block and interim chairman of Hides PDL7 Resources Owners Association, said since the pro­ject took off the ground in early 2001, but there was no funding and implementation of priority and nominated projects agreed under the LBBSA from the IDG.
Hamaga said the former Somare government had provided them with lip service without honouring all the commitments made at the signing.
“Following the agreement, all the six block companies or leaders from Hides 4 PDL7 have submitted their project proposal for funding to the national government through the Department of National Planning and Monitoring but to date there has not been any progress to honour their commitments,” Hamaga said.
“All the six block leaders agreed and nominated priority project among others; Hides 4 water project, Hides 4 growth centre, Hides 4 ecotourism centre, Para aid post upgrading, Para school relocation and other major impact pro­jects identified under the LBBSA.
“We want the government to tell us when these commitments will be honoured and when it will release the funds if the Expenditure Implementation Committee (EIC) has already deliberated on our submission and approved to be released,” Hamaga said yesterday.
He expressed concern that certain individuals who had allegedly fraudulently siphoned millions of ministerial commitment funds were in contact with members of the IEC to divert the IDG.
He said he did not want to see a repetition of events that disrupted the project after the disbursement of the business development grant last year when the majority of the landowners missed out on their shares in that grant.
“We want all our projects submissions to be channelled through the established landowner entities and not paper landowners or consultants who claim to be genuine landowners,” Hamaga said.
He supported Hides 4 umbrella company chairman Willie Ayule in not accepting “any cheap compensation” offer by Esso Highland for environment damage.