Locals: We’re not involved

 By ELLEN TIAMU

BUTIBAM villagers have disassociated themselves from the protest last Tuesday at the Lae port.

A villager from the Busurum clan, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said clans from the six Ahi villages did not support or take part in the protest. 

The two main village clans – Busurum and Wapi-Guhu – are traditional landowners of the sea port land.    

The villager said people claiming to be speaking on behalf of Ahi landowners did not truly represent the Butibam people.  

Lae port, the main sea port connecting the seven highlands provinces and Madang, was closed last Tuesday after seaport workers remonstrated at the government’s failure to look into a list of grievances presented last December.

They also opposed the entry of a fo­reign stevedoring company, Patrick’s Stevedores, to operate in Lae.

In response to their statement, Lae MP Loujaya Toni said last Wednesday the principal landowners were working on plans to engage the Australian stevedoring company.

Toni also said protesters claiming to be landowners did not represent the principal clans and landowners.

But Riback Stevedores Group operations manager George Gware said in Lae the Australian company would not be allowed in to Lae. 

He called on all 10 MPs of Morobe to support the local stevedoring companies and dockworkers preserve Morobe assets to benefit Morobeans. 

He said leaders should work at uniting people and not causing division.  

Deputy opposition leader Sam Basil said there was no room for a fourth player on the stevedoring industry in Lae.