Tenants of National Housing Corporation Waigain Hostel inthe National Capital were evicted overthe weekend despite an instruction fromthe Prime Minister tothe contrary.
Managing Director of NHC, John Dege was atthe property ordering tenants to leave. EMTV News crew was prevented from filming insidethe gate tothe Hostel.
It was a chaotic situation as people moverd whateverthey could out oftheir rooms and ran for the gate. They did not expect to be forced out this way.
Womenand children were fearful as national housing corporation officers includingtheir MD, John Dege, police and security guards were intimidating. They made sure no one remained.
A tenant although underthe rainy wether and caught by surprise, was in his sense to questionthe eviction whenthe prime minister had said and instructedthe housing minister to haltthe eviction.
Last weekthe Prime minister put a halt tothe initial eviction and askedthe housing minister to brief cabinet in full onthe matter.
Betthe forced eviction was a complete disregard ofthe head of government’s instructions.
An official fromthe prime minister’s office said that those responsible for defying instructions will be held to account.
More than three hundred tenants who calledthe NHC Waigani hosteltheir home currently don’t have a roof. Many ofthem saythey will bunk up with wantoks but since many are public servants and are expected to work on Monday, It’s a horrible weekend.
Waigani hostel tenants were initially ordered to vacate last week whenthe property was sold out for about eleven million kina.
Betthe tenants refused sayingthey have not been given ample warning and an ensuring shuffle between police security guards and tenants this tenant was assaulted.
Michelle Amba, National EMTV News
https://youtube.com/watch?v=N-CP6N53jOI%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
