Labu villagers ‘not part’ of Lae wharf protest

 THE six villages of Labu, who have a stake as traditional landowners of the Lae port area, say they were illegally represented and were not part of the parties who forced the closure of Lae wharf on Tuesday.

Hapa (Labu) landowners association, the body mandated by the Labu people to negotiate on traditional land matters, have distanced themselves from the position of the handful of executives from Lae Port Service who joined in the protest against PNG Ports Corporation Ltd.

Association spokesman Danny Esatu said the association, which was incorporated in 2009, was recognised by the Morobe provincial administration.

Esatu said the group represented more than 8,000 people of Labu-Butu, Labu-Miti, Labu-Tale, Labu-Pile, Labu-Puseka and Labu-Lupu.

He said the representatives of the stevedoring company, Lae Port Service, were only its shareholders who joined the other striking Ahi villagers and stevedoring companies.

“They are self-proclaimed leaders claiming to represent the whole of Labu but they are not the legitimate and mandated leaders in any form or shape thinkable to represent the whole 8,000-plus population of Labu,” Esatu said.

He added that Labu Holdings was a shareholders company and not a landowner company and had shares in Lae Port Services, which was a joint venture company with Swire Shipping (formerly known as Steamships Shipping).

“Labu Holdings executives represent only their shareholders and are not the mouthpiece of the Labu population. Hapa landowners association is the people’s ear, eye, nose and mouthpiece of all the Labu people, including a few who are shareholders of Labu Holdings,” he said.

“The Labu people, by custom and constitutional right and freedom, have expressed their right as traditional landowners of the port area and their intention to participate with the current government’s national development programme for the Lae port to attain equal benefit for them.”

Esatu also apologised to PNG Ports Corporation, the Lae business community, the Morobe provincial government and the national government for the misleading statements in the media.

He said the association did not support the striking stevedoring companies but welcomed PNG Port Corporation’s modernisation programme and the use of modern technology in developing Lae Port.