Police called in to calm angry LOs

THE Gobe Leadership Committee meeting held in Port Moresby yesterday was almost marred by violence by disgruntled groups but police presence allowed peaceful proceedings.
A group of landowners supporting former chairman Philip Kende and other clans not included in the Gobe Leadership Committee (GLC) attempted to stop the new team led by chairman Mathew Sisimolu from conducting the first GLC meeting after Kende was ousted.
While there were disagreements between different factions, the majority of the landowners from Semberigi, Erave, in Southern Highlands and, Kiam, in Gulf, supported the move to change leadership of the landowner organisation that they claimed had been ineffective for more than 20 years.
To defuse tensions, members of the police mobile squad two from Port Moresby was called in to provide security.
The meeting was conducted following a letter dated Aug 9, 2019, from the Petroleum Department to Minerals Resources Development Company board as the trustee shareholder of Petroleum Resource Gobe (PRG) recognising the election of Sisimolu as chairman of GLC on Aug 3.
Following the receipt of the letter, and as per clause 3.10 (a) of the (Gobe memorandum of agreement), the chairman of GLC automatically sits on the board of Petroleum Resources Gobe (PRG) Ltd, which now creates a vacancy on the chairmanship of PRG board and the current landowner directors.