NAC orders settlers to vacate land

By PETER ESILA
ILLEGAL settlers on the National Airports Corporation’s (NAC) Jackson International Airport aerodrome land in Port Moresby have been given four months to vacate the land, an official says.
NAC managing director and chief executive officer Rex Kiponge said in Port Moresby yesterday that four months was enough time to prepare and leave.
This follows a National Court Order on Friday, setting aside interim restraining orders preventing NAC from proceeding with its eviction exercise at Jackson International Airport aerodrome.
There were four court reliefs that were sought by NAC in this matter.
The aerodrome area is portion 2965.
“The National Court has given us the orders, made a decision on the application that we have filed to set aside the interim court order that was taken out by the illegal landowners and the court has granted us that order,” Kiponge said.
“So now based on the court order, NAC has got hold of all the land that has been with the illegal so-called customary landownership and has been a lot of selling of our land to interested parties by these landowners.
“The court has made a decision, we have a court order in place, we have now got all our land back, which means that NAC will now start evicting the landowners and the illegal settlers, we have given them four months to leave.”
He said due to the election period now, four months was enough time to leave.
“Part of the exercise to reclaim our land is to expand the aerodrome activities.
“We have a lot of demand on use of our land because the land has been with the illegal landowners,” Kiponge said.