Landowners let water flow

KOMIUFA Water Resource Owners living in the northern end of Goroka, reopened the town’s water supply on Christmas Eve after almost a week of closure.
Angry landowners shut the main water tap down last Friday after the government recently paid K5 million to the Koiari people, who are the owners of the land from which Port Moresby gets its water and power.
Komiufa Water Resource Owners chairman Hans Fima said they were frustrated when the state paid the Koiari landowners for the use of their resource.
“The Koiari claimed K5mil and our claim of K2.7mil were being considered together but why were the Koiaris paid and not us (Komiufa)?” he said.
Fima said this frustration led them to shut down Goroka water supply last Friday, but they decided to re-open the taps after a meeting with Eastern Highlands deputy provincial administrator Maniha Ipae to enable the provincial government to take up their grievances to the national government.
Fima said they expected Prime Minister James Marape to bring their payment (K2.7mil) when he visit Goroka today (Friday) to open three new projects – the Rumbia Coffee Exports, Juncao Mushroom and Nokondi Civil Works.
He said they had no intention to cause inconvenience or harm anyone in Goroka hospital but they had a genuine claim with the Government and had been patiently pursing it over the last 20 years.
Komiufa Water Resource Owners deputy chairman Martin Abori said the State Solicitor had given legal clearance as confirmed in a letter dated April 30, 2019, to chief secretary Isaac Lupari and request for funding from Lands Department secretary Benjamin Samson dated Dec 5, 2019.
Abori said the letters included the Koiari claim and theirs but they were angered when Koiaris’ were paid but they were not.
“However, we allowed the water taps to be re-opened as we do not want to suffer the town residents, businesses and Government institutions,” he said.
“We reached an understanding with Ipae and allowed the water to continue flowing.”