Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says a decision on the sale of the 22 conflict group of islands will be made once he has received legal advice on the matter.
O’Neill said the matter is being looked at by him and the Milne Bay Provincial Government and will be deliberated on once proper legal advice is given.
It follows an appeal by the Linawia Sisilili Clan, of Panaeati, Misima’s Chairman, Daniel Duncan asking for the Government to look into the matter and possibly buy and return the ownership back to the islanders.
Duncan said the 22 islands ownership has changed hands since 1896 with the original title of the islands being a state lease granted by Sir William Macgregor the then Australian Governor of the New Guinea protectorate to Sir Henry Alexander Wickham a pioneer planter and adventurer after administration was given to Australia in 1906.
“The lease granted by Macgregor to Wickham was a state lease for sponge farming and coconut (copra) planting,”he said.
He said since 1896 the title has changed hands several times eventually being bought by Australian born pharmaceutical and mining magnate Ian Gowrie Smith from Honolulu residences Lu and Marry Anne Nevels in June 2003 for US$25million.
Duncan said the battle to regain ownership to their traditional birthright has taken them decades with appeals to different governments having no positive outcome.
He said in 2006 the title to the islands was declared by Lands Department Register of Titles in an advertisement on the print media that the copy was lost.
Duncan appealed to the Government to correct mistakes made by previous state agencies and return the islands back to them.
No comments:
Post a Comment