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  • Supreme Court allow review of Napanapa land issue

    The Supreme Court has allowed a landowner group of Napanapa in the Central province to challenge a decision of the National Court that removed them as recognized landowners.

    Chief Justice Sir Gibb’s Salika, sitting as a single Supreme Court judge, granted leave to Pastor Hanua Gadiki and his Rokurokuna sub-tribe of Koita to challenge the 2012 decision of the National Court that removed them as the landowners of the customary land described as DA5 – a land where the Napanapa PNG LNG refinery is situated.

    Pastor Gadiki and his Rokurokuna tribe of Koita were initially recognized as the legitimate landowners of the DA5 land by the Provincial Land Court in 2010.

    However, the opposing party- the Kuriu Incorporated Land Group- led by a Daure Gabe Pundi, applied to the National Court to review the decision of the Provincial Land Court.

    The National Court on July 18, 2012, ruled upheld the review Pundi and the Kuriu Incorporated Land Group and declared them as the principal traditional landowners of the DA5 Napanapa Land, replacing Pastor Hanua and his Rokurokuna sub-tribe of Kotia who were the initial principal traditional landowners of the subject land.

    The National Court during the ruling, did not refer the matter back to the Provincial Land Court or the Local Land Court to rehear and redetermine the traditional land dispute.

    This prompted Pastor Hanua to apply for leave in the Supreme Court to review the decision of the National Court.

    He argued that the National Court had erred in law and breached Section 3 and 26 of the Land Dispute Settlement Act in determining or declaring the ownership of the traditional land in dispute when it has no jurisdiction to do so.

    Pastor Hanua through his lawyer submitted during the leave application that there were case laws that supports the contention and that leave should be granted for the full Supreme Court to hear and determine the substantive issue.

    The questions posed to the court include;

    Whether the National Court has jurisdiction to determine ownership of traditional land or determine who the principal landowner is?


    And whether it is fair and just to allow the decision of the National Court to stand, contrary to Section 3(1) and 26 of the Land Dispute Act and the Supreme Court decision in Louis Lucian Siu vs Wasime Land Group Incoporated, and Simon Ekanda vs Hon Pila Niningi, Attorney General of Papua New Guinea.


    The Chief Justice after assessing the submissions, was satisfied with the grounds raised by the applicant (Pastor Hanua), noting that the application raised arguable grounds and therefore granted the leave sought.

    This means the substantive issue will go before a full Supreme Court bench to be heard and determined.

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  • The Matriarch of Silent Grandeur

    By CYRIL GARE – freelance journalist

    In the dawn of Papua New Guinea’s independence, the world saw a flag rise, a constitution breathe, and a people awaken to the rhythms of nationhood. But behind the official ceremonies and political declarations stood a quieter figure—a woman of strength unspoken, of grace unwavering. Lady Veronica Somare, the inaugural First Lady of Papua New Guinea, embodied the soul of a nation not yet fully formed. She became, in every dignified gesture, the matriarch of silent grandeur.

    Late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare and Lady Veronica Somare.

    She did not seek the spotlight, nor did she claim the authority that came with proximity to power. And yet, her influence was unmistakable. In the formative years of independence, when Sir Michael Somare—the Grand Chief—wore the weight of a fledgling democracy, it was Lady Veronica who anchored the storm. Her commitment to family, cultural values, and community created a stabilizing warmth that radiated far beyond the walls of their home. It was through her quiet dedication that many Papua New Guineans found comfort, hope, and a template for civic compassion.

    To remember Lady Veronica is to recall the essence of womanhood as heritage-keeper, as moral compass, as silent builder. She bore the demands of public life with humility, raising children while nurturing the spiritual and emotional dimensions of leadership. Her presence, often understated, spoke of a power deeper than protocol: the power to embody grace in uncertainty, dignity in upheaval, and resilience in transition.

    She was not merely the wife of a leader—she was the mother of a movement. Her cultural fluency, her unspoken counsel, and her instinctive ability to read the emotional pulse of her people made her irreplaceable. In communities across the four regions, and Sepik heartlands, Lady Veronica was regarded not only as a First Lady, but as a guardian of decency and tradition.

    Even as she stood apart from the mechanics of government, she became central to the moral architecture of leadership. Her legacy lives on in the children she raised, in the communities she touched, and in every tribute paid by those who see in her a quiet heroism. In the end, her greatest act was not in speech, but in presence—in showing that true grandeur is not worn, but lived.

    Born in 1946 into the respected Mindamot clan of East Sepik, Veronica Kaiap was shaped by kinship, village life, and ancestral grace. When she married Michael Somare in 1965, it wasn’t just the union of two individuals—it was the quiet beginning of a sovereign journey. And while history would call him the Father of the Nation, she would become something far deeper: the woman who carried that nation inside her spirit, day after day, act after act.

    From feeding revolutionaries to hosting dignitaries, from planting gardens to offering sanctuary, Lady Veronica stood as the anchor between personal sacrifice and public service. Her motherhood was more than biological—it was constitutional. She gave herself not to fame, but to becoming. Becoming a shelter, becoming a symbol, becoming a soul of a people.

    Her children—Betha, Sana, Arthur, Michael Jr., and Dulciana—were taught that their father belonged not just to them but to the country. And so did she. She bore the burden without complaint, cultivating hope in her garden and wisdom in her silence.

    She became a living metaphor—a quiet orchid. The ‘Dendrobium Veronica Somare’ was named to honour her, not simply for her love of orchids, but because her presence was like them: resilient, radiant, and rooted.

    So this Independence year, as Papua New Guinea turns 50, let her name ring not just as wife or mother, but as Mother of Becoming. A woman whose silent strength cradled a nation. A woman who bore a legacy not in speeches, but in sacrifice. A woman who never asked to be remembered—yet must never be forgotten. She is the matriarch of silent grandeur.________

     

    ABOUT Writer
    Cyril Gare is a veteran Papua New Guinean journalist and media advisor whose career spans over 32 years across journalism, government, development, banking, academia, and public relations. His work bridges editorial excellence with nation-building purpose, crafting narratives that capture both political gravity and silent cultural strength. His approach is marked by emotional resonance, deep cultural awareness, and an unwavering commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices. Whether mentoring through academia, collaborating on editorial campaigns, or honoring PNG’s silent changemakers, Cyril’s storytelling weaves resilience, dignity, and clarity into Papua New Guinea’s evolving national story

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