Villagers allege unfair treatment

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday July 31st, 2012

By LEONNIE WAYANG-SEVUA
LOCALS are frustrated at what they claim to be a biased service by a shipping company.
They claim their cargo was stored in a shed while goods belonging to a former MP’s supporters were loaded and shipped.
Locals from villages along the Morobe coastline claimed their cargo was not loaded onto the ship mv Rainforest 1 as scheduled last Friday, due partly to political sway.
Goods allegedly belonging to supporters of former MP Sasa Zibe were loaded and shipped.
Diso Biliso, a local from Morobe station, said goods belonging to him and supporters of other candidates were offloaded while only those belonging to Zibe’s supporters were loaded and ferried to various villages along the coast.
“Shipping services and business should not be influenced by the outcome of the elections as that is an entirely different matter altogether.
“It should not influence the delivery of services to the people,” Biliso said.
The vessel, which was acquired by Zibe during his term as the member for Huon District, provides shipping services to people living along the Morobe coast, Sappa and the villages from inland Waria, Salamaua and Morobe local level governments.
The shipping company operating mv Rainforest 1 or Zibe could not be reached for comment.