The Ombudsman Commission will be working closely with the Department of Lands and Physical Planning and the National Capital District Commission under its Anti- Discriminatory function to ensure that people’s rights are not abused during eviction exercise throughout the city.
The Commission in a recent meeting with NCD Governor Honourable Powes Parkop and Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning Mr Benjamin Samson offered to assist in providing mediation with illegal squatters on state land following a front page Post-Courier article last week titled ‘Plan to revamp Settlements’.
Chief Ombudsman Richard Pagen whilst commending the initiative by the Lands Department to free up state land for proper planning said the Commission is not against this initiative but wants to ensure that people’s rights are not abused.
“The government owns the land and it also owns the people who squatter on this land, hence the government needs to cater for these people, said the Chief Ombudsman Richard Pagen. He added that pursuant to the five National Goals and Directive Principles as set out in the Preamble to the Constitution, the government has a duty to take into account people’s welfare despite them being illegal settlers.
He said currently Papua New Guinea has no established Human Rights office. The Ombudsman Commission is the only office in the country now that deals with human rights issues as set out under Section 218 (b) of the Constitution
The Ombudsman Commission has also recently dealt with a number of these issues under Section 218 (a)/(b) of the Constitution for the interest of the people – the Commission’s intervention in the National Airport Corporation’s Paid Parking system which resulted in paid parking being temporarily lifted and the Commission’s intervention to complete the Lae- Nazab Road
Chief Ombudsman Richard Pagen urged the Lands Secretary and the NCD Governor to resettle people who are going to be affected during the revamping exercise.
The Governor in response assured the Commission that there will be no eviction and that NCDC and the Department of Lands and Physical Planning are already working together to address the squatter issues.
The Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning Benjamin Samson in expressing similar sentiments said “we are mindful that we are servants of the people and that we need to address these issues carefully”
Both the Governor and the Secretary on the other hand stressed that land is currently a scarce resource in Port Moresby, hence the plan to revamp settlements.