By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
A KOITABU man is appealing to the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) and the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) to make the colonial cemetery a historical monument.
Charlie Gabutu from Dubara Idibana clan who are the customary land owners of the Seven Mile area said that:
“This was the old public cemetery at Seven Mile in Port Moresby before the cemetery was taken over to the current site at Nine Mile. The city was expanding and the Jacksons international and domestics Airport was undergoing construction.
“And so the Colonial Administration asked our elders in the 1960s that if they (Dubara Idibana clan) can allocate another land away from the city to have the new public cemetery. And so our elders gave the land at nine mile to the colonial Government.
“And now the Nine mile cemetery is managed by the NCDC and we have been left out of the deal.”
Gabutu urged the NCDC and the TPA to engage the clan to carry out maintenance at the old cemetery.
“So now I’m appealing to NCDC and TPA to engage my clan to carry out maintenance at the old cemetery like grass cutting, repainting of tombstone and other general maintenance so that this old cemetery can be restored to be a tourism and educational purpose,” he said.
“This is a vital historic piece for our children to learn about the history of Port Moresby.
“I’m sure many city residence don’t know about this colonial cemetery.
“So I’m calling on NCDC or TPA to give us this projects.
“Because most big projects like the airport development project and security contracts, we always miss out”.
