Residents fight to save backyards
PORT MORESBY: Residents of Opao Place in the National Capital District (NCD) are wrestling with a businessman from Hela province who is trying to take land that is part of the residents’ legal housing boundaries.
The businessman, Mr. Larry Andakali acquired three vacant land portions nearby but drew concerns from the residents when his employees started coming into the other housing lots and putting new land marks of their own.
The vacant land portions that Mr. Andakali has already acquired are Lots 25, 26 and 27 and has already fenced three quarters around its perimeter.
He is now trying to cut through the land portions of Lots 22, 23 and 24 which are currently occupied residential areas.
It is believed that the land portion of 25, 26 and 27 were purposely left vacant for future development into a recreational park however, the main concerns of the residents now is to save their backyards.
We have shown them the official land map and titles and even explained the boundaries of the land portions here but they have shown no regard.
Tamarua Sepa, community spokesperson
“We have written a letter to the Minister for Housing and the Minister for Lands and also delivered copies to the NCDC, the National Housing Corporation and Mr. Andakali himself, but nothing has happened and we fear that our residential land areas will be illegally and forcefully taken,” he said.
Mr. Sepa said a number of surveyors including officers from the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) have also been brought in by Mr. Andakali to try and convince the residents to give up their land area.
According to the residents, seven different land surveyors have been brought in to check the marked areas and have disregarded the original pegs as shown in the map.
On Wednesday this week, the latest surveyor escorted by the same NCDC officers entered the residential areas and put new marks where they intend to build the fence through.
Original resident of the street, Mr. Camillus Ongogo said they came in when all the men and leaders of the street had gone off to work and other activities.
He said most of the residents were the first settlers in the area when the government first sold homes there in the 1970s, and know all the land portions and lots that they are sitting on.
We have been here since the beginning and have been living within our rights as legal housing commission residents, no one should just come in and try to forcefully take half our yard just because they want it.
– Mr Camillus Ongogo, Opao Street resident
On Tuesday 21 August, Mr. Andakali met with the residents and the NCDC officers and assured them that he would respect the official land boundaries but that has not happened.
The residents believe that the NCDC officers and surveyors are working for Mr. Andakali because they too have not shown any regard for the concerns that have been raised regarding the proper land marks.
They wonder if senior management within the NCDC know about the activities of their officers and the truth about different issues that they need to address.
We are concerned that if they go ahead and take this extra land, it would cut off our backyards by more than half. This is bad for hygiene, privacy, peace, for relaxation and also for our own growth and expansion.
I call on the NCDC, National Housing Corporation, the Department of Lands and Physical Planning and any other relevant authority to intervene quickly for the sake of peace and good order to prevail.– Mr Tamarua Sepa
I also ask Mr. Andakali to uphold his promise to respect the current boundaries and order his employees to not try and take extra land because that is illegal and also reflects badly on him as a businessman.
Land grabbing is a big issue in the National Capital District and around the country as well. There are houses built on hillsides and along storm drains and roadsides where there should be space allowed for work, access routes, future expansion or recreation.
A few months ago, there was dispute between two ethnic groups from different highlands provinces over a piece of land in the Morata suburb of the city. Lives were lost during that conflict.
Over a year ago, an old man was thrown out of his own home when another man somehow acquired the title to his home without his knowledge. He camped outside his yard until the government stepped in to sort out the matter and put him back in his house.
For peace and good order to prevail the residents of Opao Place are hoping for this issue to be addressed soon so that it does not turn out to be another law and order issue.
- Residents fight to save backyards - August 30, 2018
