Moresby North-East MP, John Kaupa has pledged land for the resettlement of families evicted from 9-Mile and donated K100,000 worth of food to assist 98 families displaced by the recent court-ordered eviction.
Kaupa is also the new Minister for Environment Conservation and Climate Change.
He made the commitment during his first visit to the 98 affected households at Portions 115 and 1156, a week after being appointed to Cabinet for a second time.”
“He was once a Minister for Housing and Urbanization.
He said his office would also support the settlers in pursuing legal action over what he described as the manner in which the eviction was carried out.
The donation included bags of rice, cartons of noodles, tinned fish, cooking oil, bottled water, chicken, soap and other essential household items.
Minister Kaupa said he respected the National Court’s ruling recognizing the rightful landowners but believed the eviction process should have given residents more time to remove their belongings.
“The court’s decision must be respected because it is the highest authority in the country,” he said.
“However, the people were only given 48 hours to leave. I believe they should have been given 30 to 40 days to remove their property. My office will support them in seeking equitable interest through the courts.”
He said he could not intervene during the eviction because doing so may have amounted to contempt of court.
Minister Kaupa also appealed to Assistant Commissioner of Police for NCD and Central, Benjamin Turi, to ensure elected leaders are informed before future eviction exercises are carried out.
“Before any eviction takes place, the police should notify our NCD Governor and myself so we can help find alternative arrangements for affected families,” he said.
He urged settlers facing eviction notices to seek assistance from both his office and the Office of NCD Governor Powes Parkop before court orders are enforced.
In a major commitment to the displaced families, Minister Kaupa announced that he would provide land for their resettlement.
“To the 98 affected households, I will give you land for resettlement,” he said.
“I ask you to remain patient while we prepare a resettlement area.”
Minister Kaupa also praised Governor Parkop’s long-term Settlements to Suburbs programme, saying it aims to provide planned housing with proper roads, water and electricity for city residents.
He said the vision was to transform informal settlements into organized suburbs where every family could eventually own a home.
The food donation was distributed among the affected households, with community members expressing gratitude for the assistance during a difficult period.