Landowners urged to check titles regularly

Caption: Portion in concern

Caption: NBC MD Memafu Kapera displaying the original land title issued after independence

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, March 23, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

THAT was the warning echoed by the Managing Director of the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Memafu Kapera, last week, after he discovered that a portion of land belonging to the state broadcaster had been titled off to a foreign owned company, last week in Port Moresby.

The land in concern at Six Mile is part of Portion 1437, Section 69- a 8 hectare area that NBC had acquired through an official title obtained on February 5, 1976- issued by the then Ministry of Natural Resources.

Mr Kapera revealed that when NBC fronted up at the Department of Lands & Physical Planning- officers were shocked that the broadcaster had ownership of the portion in concern, which they discovered had been divided from one portion of Portion 1437 to two portions of 2348 and 2349 respectively.

“This is a serious problem that is happening at the Land Department, where we discovered that files are missing, and when that happens you know that someone is interested,” he said.

“These things are done by individuals with ulterior motives, and I would like to advice anyone that owns a title to land in our urban areas to keep checking their titles regularly.”

“Otherwise you could be surprised when some fronts up at your place to remove you.”

NBC has since liaised with the Department of Land & Physical Planning, who have assured to ensure that NBC is recognized as the only legal title holder to Portion 1437, through:

·      -  Reissuing a Notice to Quit, under Section 145 to the company in concern.

·      -  Registrar of Titles to write to the company to surrender their title to him.

·      -   Registrar of Titles  to issue official statements confirming that NBC is the legal title holder.