State land grabbing

 Gabadi community spokesperson Java Beraro said there are three issues that need to be addressed in this Manumanu land deal including the relocation of the barracks.

Beraro said there has never been any consultation with the locals to find out the effects of having a PNGDF barracks near the village communities.

 “The COI needs to investigate and the perpetrators of this land grabbing scheme must be answerable.

“It has to be done today, if it’s not done today, when can it be done?

O’Neill announced in February that a Commission of Inquiry (COI) will be established to probe allegations into the Manumanu land deal.

However, he recently announced that the strength of the COI will be reduced to an administrative inquiry.

Manumanu committee chairman John Daroa said O’Neill must fulfil his promise to return the land in question to the customary landowners.

The landowners also demanded a written response from O’Neill of their initial correspondences dated February 8 and February 20 respectively.