Our Telekom’s manager in Malaita has supported calls for landowners in the province to open up their land for development.
And Mike Selega says what deputy prime minister Manasseh Maelanga uttered at Malu’u during the province’s second appointed day celebration recently was true.
Maelanga told landowners in Malaita then they have to blame themselves for the lack of infrastructure development in the province.
Selega said Telekom experienced first-hand experiences to its development plans in Malaita when negotiating with landowners for its mobile phone towers.
“Malaitans always cry for development to come to their land,” Selega said.
“But when investors ready to move in, they always stand in the way through land dispute,” he said.
“During our search for tower sites, we have experienced lots of land disputes that resulted in relocations of our towers, which resulted in damages to our tower frames.
“So let’s not blame the government for the lack of development on Malaita. Let’s blame ourselves.
“The national government and companies have been trying their best to do developments in the province but land dispute has always been an obstacle.
“This is an area we need to address if we want to see development in the province,” Selega said.
BY LUCIO SANGA
in Malaita
