Settlers: Honour land deal

By BRADLEY MARIORI
FAMILIES of those brought to Bulolo, Morobe, during the gold-dredging days are again calling on the government to provide them land to resettle on after clashes with locals.
The families have been living in a care centre since the 2010 ethnic clash.
Spokesman Pastor Makis Mombi told the The National on Sunday that the families had been living at the care centre since.
“We had a peace reconciliation ceremony between the locals and the settlers in 2012, and a peace agreement was signed with the provincial and district administrations,” he said.
“(Then) Morobe Governor Kelly Naru and Bulolo MP Sam Basil signed the agreement with the two parties which was the first and second stages of the peace agreement to resettle the settlers,” Pr Mombi said.
“We have since not received any word from the government on the resettlement.”
He said the population at the centre had grown from around 4,000 to more than 7,000.
“We haven’t received information from the government on the status of resettlement,” Pr Mombi said.
“Our forefathers were involved in the development of Wau and Bulolo during the gold dredging days.
We are now the fourth and fifth generations living here in Bulolo and we need to be resettled here.”
Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu who visited the care centre last Thursday assured them that they would be helped.
He also gave K100,000 to fast-track the relocation process.
Attempts to get a comment from Bulolo MP Sam Basil on the matter were unsuccessful.