by Hon. Ian Ling-Stuckey, CMG. MP
Minister for Treasury
January 24th 2021
Compensation claims of K10 million for the Kavieng Airport by a small splinter group of Kavieng landowners from Pabliang and Omo villages cannot be verified.
In formal meetings with the Minister for Civil Aviation, Sekie Agisa and CEO National Airport Corporation(NAC) Ephraim Wasem and senior officers, as well as preliminary discussions with the Secretary for Lands Benjamin Samson last week, I am advised that there is no legal basis for the compensation claim of K10 million for the airport located on portion 49, apparently led by the Moni family, Gayleen and husband Richard Moni, for more moni, so to speak.
It seems that the National Government was also misadvised to pay the compensation claim of K10 million in July last year.
Furthermore, the completed extension of the runway was satisfactorily settled for K6.0 million which has never been the subject of a dispute according to the NAC.
Frankly, I am also appalled by the lies emanating from the New Ireland Governor on this matter, who has been falling asleep on the job lately.
His feeble and very erroneous claim that he did not agree to the airport ground breaking ceremony is simply a lie.
If the Governor did not agree to the ceremony, why did he formally advise the then CAA Minister Lekwa Gure, that he would attend and furthermore, prepare a welcome ceremony for the Prime Minister’s delegation, which as usual these days in New Ireland, was a gathering to really honour himself rather then the National Government.
And if that wasn’t enough, the Governor hosted a formal dinner at the Malangan Lodge and proceeded to tell the audience how pleased he was at our visit and even took photos with us!
He really needs to do something about his memory loss.
To add further insult to the National Government, the Governor demands that the Government pay K15 million compensation to the landowners but failed to verify and demonstrate that the State was infact liable.
His aging but populist politics of promising landowners millions in the hope of greasing their votes has unnecessarily raised the expectations of Kavieng landowners.
He should be ashamed of himself.
The Governor is fooling the landowners.
If he was really genuine in settling their claims why doesn’t he use his quarter billion kina annual budget and his monthly paid Lihir royalties to pay them?
He has plenty of money.
For the Governor to suggest that he is fighting alongside landowners is, well, pure mauswara.
Given the above mentioned circumstances together with the tabling of a Court Order dated 5th April 2016 resulting from O.S. No.674 of 2014, in effect, preventing any Omo landowners or representatives of the original landowners Epel and Rose Tito, including members of the Makanuk (Balus) and Tivingau (Malip) clans to protest on the Kavieng Airport property, this splinter group would be well advised to relocate their protest tent and placards and air their grievances with the New Ireland Provincial Government, wherein they signed an MOU on or about 2016, with the Governor to resolve their claims.