Tomala: Don’t sell land

Source:

By ELLEN TIAMU

LAND in and around the Lae metropolitan area is becoming rare and traditional landowners have been urged to weigh the economical and social implications of their actions before they lease their land.
Morobe administrator Kemasang Tomala said more companies were opening businesses in Lae as well as more in other parts of the province where mining projects are.
He said these business ventures were sure to bring huge economic benefits to the province.
Tomala said local landowners should also be ready to tap into this upsurge in economic times but also weigh the benefits of keeping them.
Speaking at Buhalu village in the Nawaeb district on Monday, Tomala urged local landowners to look after their land and not sell them unnecessarily.
Much land around the city had been leased out to settlers from other provinces and had become breeding grounds for criminal and criminal activities because many who lived there were unemployed.
Tomala said some landowners, out for a fast buck, lease out blocks of land to anyone and in turn were unable to control the problems caused by the settlements.
He also urged the locals to retain some land for their children’s use in future.
Some major business projects coming up in Morobe are the K6 million Markham oil palm project and the establishment of two more fish processing canneries in Lae.
The discoveries of more gold in Wau and Bulolo would also extend the life of the mine by another 20 years while gold and copper found at Timini and Wafi has a life span of 30 years.

The National Newspaper 15 September2010

Young people, take control now

This is now the time for the young people to regain control of this country before it ends up in the hands of the dogs. Now is the time, because the system (controlled by outsiders) now is slowly gaining control of our labour and our resources. They want the key to our lives which is our land.

We don’t want to be like other indigenous people in other countries that have lose everything. We don’t want to be like the Maoris in New Zealand, the Aborigines in Australia and the red Indians in the United States. Most of these people especially n the United States are in reservation camps. These people are suffering while the outsiders are enjoying themselves having access to all their resources. They even have control over the labour. We don’t want to be like them. PNG is a unique country and we want to be unique. We want to maintain control of our freedom. We don’t want to be slaves in factories and “work for the man’ we want to maintain control of our land. If we lose our land, that’s it we lose our labour, our lives, our culture and our identity.

Young people, this is now your time, rise up because if you don’t the old leaders are selling our country to the dogs. Take control now or never!

Noel Anjo - The First Victim of Changes in the Environment Act by the Government of Papua New Guinea

The first victim of recent changes to the Environment Act 2000 by the government of Papua New Guinea is Noel Anjo. Noel is a well known activist; you will never miss him when you cruise around Boroko in Port Moresby during week days. Noel is one of those many who is passionate about this country and openly talks about the issues faced by people.
Noel was engaged by Transparency International Papua New Guinea (TIPNG) and the Community Coalition Against Corruption (CCAC) to do awareness on corruption and issues relating to the changes in the Environment Act by the Government of Papua New Guinea when he was arrested by police in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province. Noel is now still under police custody.
What does this indicate to us people of this country? It is very obvious now that:
1) The government is putting the interests of multinational corporations before its people;
2) The government is NO LONGER about people but about PROFIT;
3) The government is A PUPPET; it is CONTROLLED by MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS; and
4) The government will NOT REST until IT FREES up peoples’ customary land for development.
Papua New Guinea is a democratic nation. Every citizen in this country has the right to say whatever he or she thinks it is good, bad, right or wrong about this country. We have the right under the constitution to freedom of speech.
The arrest by Noel Anjo; IS THIS A PREVIEW OF WHAT WE EXPECT FROM OUR GOVERNMENT FROM NOW ON?