Landowners want fair deal

Landowners want fair deal

www.fijisun.com.fj - 3/19/2009

A landowning unit has claimed that Digicel failed to pay them their goodwill money for placing a transmitter in their land in Uciwai outside Nadi.
Head of the tokatoka Nasekula from Yako village in Nadi, Atikini Naga yesterday said numerous requests made to Digicel executives for a meeting was always turned down.

“Now we have no other option to shut down the site and maybe then they will listen to us,” said Mr Naga.

Last week police had to intervene after 12 villagers entered the transmitter site in their mission to close it down.

It was alleged that the villagers entered the site and removed batteries from the generator which disrupted services in Momi, Korovuto, the Mamanucas and other surrounding areas.

Mr Naga said they made some agreements with the company in October, last year where they were going to paid $120,000 as goodwill.

He said the land is still not leased by Digicel. He said they felt the company took advantage of their generosity.

Mr Naga said the problem started while the transmitter was still erected, when the Digicel delayed the payment of $13,000 on for the construction of the road.

Mr Naga said payments were only done after they stopped the road construction.

Digicel Fiji public relations executive Gillian Power said that the matter is currently being dealt with through the appropriate channels.

West Police spokesperson Wame Bautolu said officers from Nadi Police station are still monitoring the transmitter site.