Leaders condemn attacks on tower

By STEPHANIE ELIZAH
THE Digicel network to Central and South Bougainville has been restored after mobile services to more than 2,000 people was disrupted following the burning of Digicel’s relay tower at Mabiri.
The tower was burnt allegedly by Mabiri disgruntled landowners claiming the company had not paid its land rental.
Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Communication Minister Joseph Nopei and national Minister for Communication Jimmy Miringtoro both
condemned the landowners’ actions.
Nopei urged landowners to look after the infrastructure on their land.
“The region is in
need of communication and information services
and when infrastructure like communication towers are on your land, please appreciate it and look after it,” Nopei said.
Miringtoro said communication towers gave people the advantage
of improved services like mobile networks and people must
help by taking care of these.
“We are willing to help Bougainville bring important services to you, but please
support us by looking after the facilities we build.
“To build a communication tower, costs more than K250,000 of people’s money,” Miring­toro said
“In Bougainville to build such infrastructure the price doubles or triples.
“Please elders, inform your young men and women to protect the services we provide,” he said.