Central Province

The event is supposed to ease tension between the two villages after a land dispute clash last month, where two men were hospitalised.

Acting PPC Andrew Tovere told Loop PNG that the proposed venue for this morning’s reconciliation, Jack Pidik Park, is too costly. This is one of the reasons why the reconciliation has been delayed.

“It must be held within a place where the concerned villagers can access it. It is very costly for them (villagers) to come into the city.

Allan Aiso was convicted by the Bomana National Court for the murder of George Evi on May 5, 2015 at Aipeana village, Kairuku district. He stabbed Evi on his left chest using a spear knife.

The court found that Aiso threw a spear knife at Evi (deceased) after he found him standing next to his dead pig in the garden.

All these took place in front of the deceased’s uncle, Paul Auki, whose statement was used as evidence by the state in prosecuting Aiso.

Criminal Judge, Justice Panuel Mogish said this month’s Central Court circuit saw nine accuseds who were on bench warrants turn themselves in after being on the run for more than 20 years.

Most of these accused who turned themselves in were from the Bereina area of Central Province.

Central Province is currently leading in the execution of bench warrants, some dating back to 30 years ago.

He attributed the success in Central Province to the utilisation of existing local authority through the Paramount chief system.

In a media conference hosted by Central Governor, Kila Haoda, Provincial and Local Level Government leaders warned individuals engaged in the activity that villagers are contemplating taking the law into their own hands.

“They have now told me that they will take the law into their own hands,” says Aihi Ikupu, President of the Kairuku LLG.

“I have letters from Nabua’paka, Yule Island, Delena, and Pou’kama that there are explosions nearly every night.”

He says the current trend of mass eviction is creating a problem for Central Province as more and more people are settling on customary land.

“The Government must prepare land for the people to resettle,”

“Once you chase them out they wont sleep in the air or they wont sleep in the water, they will come to my people’s land,” said Haoda.

More than 90 per cent of Central Province land is customary, however, there are alleged instances of land being acquired through dubious deals or illegally being settled on.

Women and children have been put on dinghies and sent out to sea while the men are fighting at Gabba Gabba village.

A local from Gabba Gabba told Loop PNG that the fight is a result of yesterday’s rampage, conducted by a clan from his village.

“A former district administrator from Ginigolo came down to the beachfront (Gabba Gabba) and built his house there. His house sits on that clan’s land,” Loop was told.

The clan members went down to the beach, chased residents there and burnt a couple of bush material houses.

The road is the only access for the people of Aroma Coast in Central Province to the Rigo inland areas.

People in the area are now calling on their local members to quickly act to ensure this is avoided in future.

It is indeed a sad sight to see villagers jumping off their vehicles to cross this flooded area, the bridge that links this road is covered under water each time the wet season kicks in.

The road is accessed by people from the Coast and Rigo Inland villages, with most PMVs being forced to abandon their route and turn back.

Speaking from Irupara, Chief Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato says the exercise is the first since formally launching the nationwide Electoral Roll update last month at Kwikilla station, Rigo District.

The Roll update in Hula and Irupara signifies the start of the program nationwide.

He explained that the exercise in Hula was also conducted as an insight for their donors and stakeholders on the capabilities of what the current PNGEC administration can do.

Police say the three men from Tatana Village in Central Province surrendered themselves on Tuesday (August 23), telling police that there were five others who were also involved in this incident.

They had followed the deceased, his brother and his three sons, with the intention of only stealing the boat’s outboard motor. However, their confrontation with did not go as expected as the family refused to hand over the motor, said police.

This resulted in the death of the father, who police say was allegedly beaten to death and thrown into the sea.

Bihoro Clan is based in the Central Province and National Capital District (NCD).

The clan of 5,000 members is made up of six villages, namely Kirakira, Mahuru and Korobosea, which are located in NCD. Madouate, Vaiagai and Furumuti are situated at Koiari, Central Province.

The application for the ILG is now launched with the Department of Lands, awaiting for objection given 30 days’ notice.