Recognise mediators, provincial official says

 By PISAI GUMAR

THE government needs to recognise and appreciate land mediators in districts and local level councils for their work to free-up land for its use.

Morobe provincial deputy administrator infrastructure and physical services Patilias Gamato said mediators contributed much to pursue the government’s Vision 2050 agenda.

“Land mediators ply pivotal role to mediate and free up land for development,” Gamato said.

Gamato, the deputy chairman of provincial land dispute committee (PLDC), spoke during a function to farewell PLDC chairman Mark Selefkariu.

Selefkariu, a senior provincial land magistrate, is being transferred to Goroka from Lae after leading the planning and formatting PLDC strategies for Morobe.

Gamato said that PLDC’s two notable achievements in 2013 were appointment and gazettal of 99 land mediators in 33 local level governments in Morobe and conducting awareness in districts. 

“However, the challenge is for the government to recognise and appreciate land mediators and compensate them for their efforts,” he said.

Selefkariu was impressed with PLDC translating the policy into reality by enhancing and upskilling mediators with training to understand their roles and responsibilities.

“Morobe is doing better in land mediation and the issue is to identify land issues that eventually lead to law and order issues,” Selefkariu said.

He said to free-up land, it was important to understand and identify genealogy, the land portion concern and the clan leaders.

He challenged the administration to provide permanent office for PLDC to allow them collaborate with districts and LLG’s to execute their work.