THE Umi-Atzera and Onga-Waffa people in Markham Valley, Morobe, are urging the government to repeal the Special Agricultural Business Lease (SABL) policy because it “regards landowners as mere slaves”.

“In Markham district, we will never invite and entertain government’s SABL policy,” provincial agriculture chairman and Umi-Atzera president, Daki Mao said.

More than 5,000 people gathered at Mutzing station to witness the launching of pioneer Morobe palm oil project last Friday.

 “At this juncture, we want our land at Sasiang, Leron plains, Garam and Gusap to be given back to us,”  he said.

“The colonial admi­nistration failed to adhere and follow proper Melanesian way to take away these land from our ancestors. “We never participate and benefit as landowners from projects ope­rating on these lands. Enough is enough.”

But he was unable to give figures of how much land had been ta­ken away during colonial rule.

“Land taken means taking away our birthright, the serenity where our spirits dwell,” he said.

He said locals would work with the national government only when it set up a process similar to that set up by the Morobe provincial government which collaborated with landowners to ini­tiate the palm oil project.

“This system will work for us because we feel part of the entire operation.  “Everyone, locals, government or investors, will never be left out in its economic benefit,”  he said.

Mao told locals that under the leadership of MP Koni Iguan, the first economic project in the valley had been initiated in the valley.