An elderly man from Wairokai, West Are’Are has called on landowners of Malaita province to open up their land for development.
Seventy-three (73yr) old Japhlet Ko’usuna who arrived from his home village in Honiara last Thursday, reiterated that it is of great importance for him to voice out concern in the media, by reminding Malaitans to do away with land dispute, so that development can happen in the province.
In his visit to the Solomon Star early this week, Ko’usuna said, that ongoing dispute in Malaita is endless, unless people compromised by realising the severe impact of poverty, causing massive rural-urban drift and squatting of Malaitan in other provinces seeking income earning opportunities.
He said, that major projects sites on Malaita were disputed, therefore leaving no hope for the province to engage its people into money generating activities.
Ko’usuna is now in the city for medical attention said, that his few days in Honiara was saddened because he noticed huge numbers of unemployed youth in town, who left the province seeking employment because of land dispute back home, hindering economic activities in the rural areas.
He stressed that the issue of land dispute is long overdue, hence Malaitan landowners must find possible solution to get away from this land dispute issues so that development could take place.
He further stated that Malaitan must take advantage of the DCC’s commitment to build the province or else this development projects would shift to other provinces, where land are conflict-free.
“I have been living in the village and now I’m old, the problem of land disputed still remain the number one barrier to development,” Ko’usuna stated. “Now am about to die, this land dispute matters in the province is getting worse, as population increases and integration of foreign culture where land is matrilineal owned is conquering the island province that has a fundamental culture of landownership inherited from the patrillneal lineage,” he further stated.
By AATAI JOHN
