Wafi-Golpu ‘landowners’ want to work with Basil

By PETER ESILA
LANDOWNERS of the Wafi-Golpu project in Morobe, through Piu Land Group Inc, have called on Bulolo MP Sam Basil to work with them for the betterment of the people.
Chairman Martin Tapei responded to Basil’s claim about the legitimacy of the Piu Land Group Inc.
Basil said legitimacy had to be established by the registrar of land titles and registrar of incorporated land groups .
Tapei said Piu Land Group, located in the interior of Mumeng and Lower Watut, acquired ILG File No 1882 on Feb 8, 1996, covering 50,000 hectares in portion 8C.
“The Iocal level governement was renewed on March 15, 2017, and the registrar of ILGs Judah Suka published the intention in newspapers on March 21, 2017, for a 30-day grace period,” he said.
“Yanta, Hengambu or Babuaf never objected and it was gazetted in the mnational Gazette.
“Until today, even Yanta, Hengambu or Babuaf never objected to our intentions. Sam Basil asked, ‘Why does Martin Tapei not come to see him?’
“We visited the office of Sam Basil many times and he always says that Martin Tapei ‘yu wanpla kon man (you are a con man)’.
“Em sa tok olsam yupla
Piu ino papa graun (He says the people from Piu are not landowners).”
Evangelical Lutheran Church Head Bishop Rev Jack Urame and Jabem district president Rev Yasam Aiwara, in letters to Prime
Minister Peter O’Neill on Jan 10 and 14 respectively, supported Piu’s claim.