The Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) will resume the second Tuguba Regional Director Election after long-running leadership disputes among the remaining Tuguba clans were resolved through a court-supervised mediation process.
MRDC said the resolution of disputes involving the Jugu, Tabu and Ware 2 clans marked the completion of its programme to establish clan bank accounts and elect directors to the Hides Petroleum Development Licence 1 (PDL1) Corporate Trustee.
The programme, launched in 2024, had reached 84% completion before being suspended in early 2025 following leadership disputes within the Tuguba clans and court injunctions.
A court-ordered mediation process began in April 2025, with MRDC working alongside the National Petroleum Authority, the Office of the Solicitor General and the PNG Electoral Commission under the independent chairmanship of Chief Magistrate Mark Pupaka. Independent observers Fabian Pok and Sandy Talita also participated in the process.
MRDC said all restraining orders had been lifted by October 2025, allowing mediation to continue.
The company said the successful resolution of leadership issues in the Jugu, Tabu and Ware 2 clans meant all eight Tuguba clans had now reached agreement, bringing the programme to 100% completion. This exceeded the required 75% participation threshold needed to proceed with the second regional director election.
The elected clan chairmen are Howard Lole for the Jugu clan, Walabe Mara for the Tabu clan and Agobe Potape for the Ware 2 clan.
Petroleum Minister Jimmy Maladina formally endorsed the mediation outcome on 29 June, clearing the way for MRDC to resume the election process.
MRDC said it would now restart the second Tuguba Regional Director Election, facilitate the appointment of a Tuguba representative to the Hides PDL1 Corporate Trustee Board and complete the opening of bank accounts for the remaining beneficiary clans.
The company also plans to begin preparations for benefit payments by opening sub-clan bank accounts for clans that are ready.
MRDC said the mediation framework successfully used during the Hiwa Regional Director Election would also guide the Tuguba process.
The company thanked stakeholders for their cooperation during the 24-month engagement and said ensuring the timely and transparent distribution of benefits to eligible Hides PDL1 beneficiaries remained its highest priority.
MRDC added that any leaders who continued to challenge the process and delay benefit payments would be accountable to their communities for those delays.
