Perpetrators who vandalised the Digicel tower in Kawatsia in the mountains of Torokina, on the west coast of Bougainville, have been urged to surrender to the law.
Banoni Boboi Council of Elders (COE) chairman Steven Nibo told PNG Loop that “enough is enough’’ and a “minority of greedy people’’ mustn’t make the whole of Torokina, parts of Panguna and Nagovis areas suffer from their illegal activities.
“People need to bear in mind that by vandalising that tower somewhere around 40,000 to 50,000 people will suffer and are suffering right now without communications,’’ Mr Nibo said.
“Without us knowing, in the dead of the night they went up and stole the solar panels.”
“Twenty have been recovered and 4 are still missing believed to be with them, hiding it from us but they have nowhere to run and hide because the community is hunting them.”
Mr Nibo said with landowners and people near the area fighting for benefits, before they do anything they must leave the communications asset alone.
“I cannot do my job easily now, and the member for Torokina Steven Suako can’t do his part too, because we’re all communication strapped and stranded,” Mr Nibo said.
“Those very people who we know vandalised the tower were the very ones who always complained about the government delivery of services. But the government delivered when Digicel put the tower up and then they vandalised it.”
Mr Nibo understands that an assessment has been made and the report given to Digicel and if the acquisition officers from Digicel move to Torokina he is ready to work with them.
“First of all on behalf of the people of Banoni Boboi I would like to apologise to the company, Digicel, and other people who have suffered from the tower being vandalised, and I appeal to those responsible to come out and explain why they did it and surrender themselves to the law. We have to find a solution to this problem.”
CAPTION: THE VANDALISED TOWER UP IN THE KAWATSI/RENI MOUNTAINS OF TOROKINA