Landowners of Manumanu will not be evicted: O’Neill

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has assured the customary landowners of Manumanu that they will not be displaced in the compulsory acquisition of their traditional land.

The private purchase of the land valued at K46.6 million by Kumul Consolidated Holdings behalf of the State on a the company in question with links to a senior cabinet minister had been the hot question in the second week of Parliament sitting.

O’Neill said he had received a detailed report of the acquisition and payment of the land to relocate PNGDF Naval base, Murray and Taurama Barracks out of Port Moresby, and will give a detailed report after going through the report.     

“I received a report this morning and I will go through the issues on hand and make a public statement in due course,” O’Neill said.       

“I want to assured the, honourable member that I have made a personal commitment to the Central Province Governor (Kila Haoda) much earlier before the issues been debated and discussed, I will, as I did in the case of Woodlark (Islands) that I intend to allow the people of Manumanu to continue to live on the land and possibility of retaining the portions of land which they are already settled in, I intend to honour that.”

The Prime Minister was responding Kairuku Hiri MP, Peter Isoaimo during Parliament Question Time today.  

The land in question is located in the Kairuku- Hiri Electorate of Central Province.

“What the people of my electorate want to know is the position of Government on the petition given,” Isoaimo asked.   

He said there is so much controversy on the land purchased and the people of Manumanu, Gabadi and Pinu villagers want to know about the prime minister’s response to their petition.

Author: 
Charles Yapumi