Tari airport and town on state land

ALLOW me to express my disgust at the attitude of a few selfish people whose conduct (prima facie false claim) has led to the sudden closure of the Tari Airport recently.
Benson Mangope, who claims to be the deputy chairman of the Tari Airport Association, has alleged landowners from Tari township have been left out by the state in the LNG project and, therefore, feels justified holding the travelling public into and out of Hela at ransom.
Mangope and his faceless men behind the association found that their action was justified.
He said the airport was a strategic asset for the state.
Of course, it is an important asset for PNG and the Hela region.
The LNG project is a completely different subject matter and has no connection at all with Mangope’s alleged claim against the state for compensation.
To engage in a self-indulging thinking process that such behaviour is justified in law epitomises nothing but a mental state that borders on idiocy of a worst kind.
To every good thinking Hela men and women, the airport is on state land, which is an integral part of Tari township and subject to a proof that the contrary is true; the action of these faceless men behind the association is unlawful.
I support the views of the Education Minister and Member for Tari-Pori James Marape that the airport is on state land.
It does not matter whether the payment of compensation was in the form of processed salts, steel axes, bush-knives, shell money, etc; the state acquired the land for the township with the consent of the then landowners when people like Mangope and his cohorts were not even around to see the daylight.
Or if just compensation were not paid as allowed under the relevant laws of the country, our forefathers would have given away the land in good faith for development purposes so that Hela can access basic goods and services.
At least our forefathers thought big in the interest of future generations in Hela and we owe it to them to make sure such an important public infrastructure is not harmed in any way, let alone denying our own people their rights to access important public infrastructure such as an airport.
Most state land in the country was acquired with the consent of the landowners in the past.
Until recently, the Aihi landowners in Lae won a court case against the state in which the National Court recently said the land on which the capital of Morobe is located was at all material times a customary land.
I am not aware of any decision in favour of the association by a competent judicial or quasi-judicial authority which deliberated on the subject matter in question and decided liability against the state.
Where is the K27 million compensation demand coming from and how did they come up with such an exorbitant figure?
Such an exorbitant claim does not only appear false in nature but a deliberate attempt by a bunch of lazy men to get “easy-money” through coercion and fraud.
As a Hela man, I am asking Mangope and company to work the land and attempt an honest living.
With the LNG project in Hela, the township will be the nerve centre of business and commerce.
People must learn to work hard and earn an honest living.
The forceful closure of the airport is unlawful.
It will set a bad precedent if the state negotiates with Mangope and his cohorts.
If their claim is genuine, there are appropriate processes and forums to address them.
It does not matter whether they have written to all relevant government authorities in Mendi and Waigani.
If liability is decided against the state for the airport and township generally by a competent court or an administrative tribunal, I am sure the state will pay.
If the state refuses to pay, I am confident there are formal processes to compel payment.
Closing the airport is simply unlawful and is not even an appropriate course of action.
The government must come down hard on such people to not only send out clear a message that such a conduct is unlawful but also to deter like-minded people from engaging in such a thing in future.

Puria Igini
Canberra, ACT