31 Mar 2008

Sogi villagers consider Samoa government relocation offer

2:12 pm on 31 March 2008

People living on Mulinu'u peninsula near Apia who have been asked to relocate by the Samoa government say their leased land has huge historical and sentimental value.

The government has given villagers 18 months to consider a proposal to relocate from the village of Sogi, inland.

Villagers say the cost of the quarter acre land at Nu'u needs to be lower and there must be monetary compensation.

A church pastor in Sogi, the Reverend Kerisiano Soti, says many people have strong historical ties to the land.

"SAM sentiment tp"

Most of them they don't want to leave the place where they were born. Although they live on it - what they says is you know is on leases, you know all these leases is on government land - so that's what they are going to find out. But surely they have been here for more than 90 years I think.

Reverend Kerisiano Soti says their lawyer is now reviewing the government's proposal before they respond.