Villagers opt to close Passam

LANDOWNERS of the Passam National High School in East Sepik rejected a land payment package of K31,000 awarded to them by the National Lands Titles Commission last Friday.
Landowner spokesman John Fakiwi said the landowners were disappointed because the amount was too small for the 61ha of land they gave away in the name of the country’s human resource development.
Fakiwi said the landowners had originally demanded K5 million given the huge land area where the school now sits but were frustrated to learn that the amount awarded to them last Friday was no where closer to their demand.
He said the aggrieved landowners had therefore resolved over the weekend to shut down the school for the 2011 academic year.
Fakiwi said the landowners would not rescind their decision unless the government agreed to review their decision and offer them an amount that reflected the true value of their land.