By Jacob Pok (Post Courier)

The Collingwood Bay people of Oro Province have supported the call by National Research Institute director, Dr Thomas Webster, to stop the continuous granting of Special Agriculture Business Leases (SABL).

They want clarifications on the recent granting of SABLs on portion 143C and 113C in the Collingwood Bay area in Oro Province.

Spokesman Christian Maravis claimed that the Collingwood Bay people have totally disagreed with statements made by Acting Lands Secretary John Ofoi, denying allegations of new SABLs being issued.

Mr Ofoi had said last week that all granting of SABLs were stopped since the commencement of the Commission of Inquiry into SABLs in 2010.

He also said that the two land portions in Oro- portion 113C and portion 143C, were issued leases in the 1990s and were not new leases.

However, Mr Maravis wants Mr Ofoi to justify the original SABLs he (Mr Ofoi) claimed was issued in the 1990’s on portion 143C and 113C.

He said according to records, SABLs on those two portions of land were granted to Keroro Development Corporation LTD in January 1998.

However these SABLs were cancelled through a court order issued by the National Court on 10 May 2002, and the land was given back to the customary landowners of Collingwood Bay.

“The court order is still effective to date. But despite the court order, the Lands Department had gone ahead and issued SABLs to the two portions- portion 113C granted to Sibo Management Ltd, and portion 143C to Wanigela Agro Industrial Limited, in July this year,” Mr Maravis claimed.

He said the granting of the SABLs are highly questionable and the Collingwood people would seek legal advice.