Hiri-Koiari MP Kieth Iduhu has expressed outrage over an alleged illegal land grab at Caution Bay.
He was shocked to learn the government secretly gave land near the PNG LNG site to a foreign company without informing local landowners.
“As the Member for Hiri-Koiari District, I am deeply shocked and appalled to learn of the massive illegal land grabbing adjacent to the PNG LNG site at Caution Bay,” Iduhu said.
He thanked former Prime Minister and Ialibu-Pangia MP Peter O’Neill for exposing the deal and expressed concern about how it was done.
Iduhu raised several questions about the deal, including why land vital to locals was handed over for free to a foreign company, why locals were not informed, and why Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso used his powers to exempt the land from public advertisement.
“Apparently, the company is now advertising their next project to turn the land into a luxury resort with golf courses and executive facilities. Is this another paper project aiming to entice our gullible government into blindly giving away our precious resources?” Iduhu asked.
Iduhu demanded Prime Minister James Marape and Deputy PM Rosso explain the deal within seven days. He warned that he would pursue legal action if more evidence of wrongdoing surfaced.
“My people are not spectators on their own land,” Iduhu stated. “Under my watch, I will not let foreigners pillage our ancestral lands without due consideration to its people.”
He criticized the government for acting in secret and prioritizing corporate interests over the people’s rights. Iduhu called the deal “twisted and despicable” and vowed to fight for his people’s land.
“Why don’t the Prime Minister and his Deputy cut land deals in Tari or Lae? What gives you the right to bypass all relevant authorities just for your veiled interests?”
“We will not be taking these revelations lightly.”