Konga slams moves to steal land

By JUNIOR UKAHA
EAST New Britain Governor Nakikus Konga has called on opportunists in the province not to create “illegal incorporated land groups (ILG)” and steal land from genuine landowners.
He issued this call during a mediation ceremony between affected blockholders, landowners, developer and government officials at the Vunapaladin Community Hall in Gazelle district.
Konga said fake ILGs and their members were creating a lot of problems in the province.
Konga said many people in the Vunapaladin, Mandress, Rangulit and Lamarainam ward areas in the Inland Baining local level government of Gazelle were displaced after their land was forcefully taken over by developers who were siding with people forming fake ILGs.
“These illegal ILG’s must stop immediately,” he said. “These illegal ILGs will be identified and removed.”
Konga said developers should deal with the provincial government and the district authority and not jump in through the window.
Administrator Wilson Matava supported the governor’s call.
He said his administration did not have documents pertaining to these ILGs, therefore, they were deemed illegal. Matava said the province was not against investment but investors should follow the procedures and processes established by the Government.
He urged affected blockholders and landowners not to take the law into their own hands but allow police to handle any grievances with regards to land-grabbing cases.