BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE
NORTH Guadalcanal’s Paramount Chief of Thimbo tribe is calling on Gaobata, Malango and Baohomea Houses of Chiefs to work together with Guadalcanal provincial office and Levers to address land issue in Lungga and Tenaru areas.
Chief Benedict Garimane stressed that while there is plain view of people clearing the land or engaged in some activities or development, this can be problematic because they don’t know who the rightful authority is that is giving people the green light to carry out such activities.
He added that he raises the concern of authority because people settling in Lungga and Tenaru are divided into three sets of people which include those who claimed to be original landowners, those who claimed land from Patrick Wong and those who claimed land from Guadalcanal provincial office.
Henceforth, Garimane emphasised that he fears this will somehow result in rivalry which may possibly lead to arguments and result in things we don’t want to see happening in North Guadalcanal.
“Maybe what should happen at this stage is that RIPEL must stop in continuing to sell the land, G-Province must stop allocating the land and look at a way forward that will bring us peace and unity amongst people who live there,” he said.
Garimane of Ngaliamera village reiterates his call for the three parties to work together to find a solution that will help address this issue of land authority in Lungga and Tenaru area.
