Morobe association welcomes probe plans by Naru

THE people of Morobe have welcomed governor Kelly Naru’s pledge to investigate alleged illegal deals by boards of Land Transport and Lands and Physical Planning in Lae.
Naru said during the 37th  Independence Day anniversary celebrations last Sunday the two boards would be reviewed and streamlined to achieve their objectives. The boards will also have a new quota system to encourage Morobeans to operate businesses in the city’s public transport system.
The Morobe Independent Justice Association which has been vocal against illegal land deals in Lae welcomed Naru’s move.
Association secretary Chris Gaia also questioned why a consultant authorised by the provincial administration had not been investigated after selling prime land areas
in Lae at will.
Former governor Luther Wenge had denied bestowing the power of attorney on a named consultant, saying his signature on that document was forged.
The prime land areas which the association suspected to be sold through illegal deals are:
lSection 362, allotment 10 which is a land portion located on the old Lae airport;
lSection 362, allotment 9;
lSection 362, allotment 2;
lSection 379, allotment 1 and 2;
lA land portion near the Lae school of nursing;
lThe homes of the disable at Javani street, Papuan compound;
lAnd the reserved park located opposite the entrance of the University of Technology.
“I call on governor Naru and Lae MP Loujaya Toni to investigate all deals done (by the named consultant) and if he forged Wenge’s signature then all land deals done through him are illegal and those land areas should be recouped and given to genuine Morobe businessmen to  acquire and do their business on,” Gaia
said.
John Ngandang, chairman of the Ahi land mobilisation programme, welcomed Naru’s statement saying Morobeans had missed out on business opportunities because they were following the right processes and channels to own land and businesses in the city.
Kili Mosa from Menyamya who has lived in Lae for 30 years said for far too long locals had struggled to operate PMV buses while most of the PMV bus operators from the highlands region could easily get licenses which were not road
worthy.