MEMBER of Parliament (MP) for Rennell and Bellona Dr. Kaitu’u Angikimu’a says the news article publish in Island Sun news paper on Tuesday, questioning his integrity is not only misleading, but a reflection of poor journalism.
Dr. Angikimu’a in his statement sent to the Solomon Star questioned the author of the article and the reason why the author had to exaggerate a none issue and desperately seeking Janus support.
The MP said Janus has nothing to do with what he clarified recently on the issue of mining on West Rennell but for annonimous source as quoted by road-side journalists to question my integrity is somewhat amusing.
He said the letter signed to consent their land to a minor was well explained by a relative in one of the Social Media page of Rennell and Bellona.
“I had made my position clear to the pro-miners and anti-miners in Renbell province that landowners holds the right to say no or yes to mining, despite my stand against mining,” he said.
“And the letter that was posted in social media claiming our group consent our land for mining is an effort to avoid repeating what happen to our land which were harvested by logging companies, with not a single cent received by our families,” he revealed.
Dr. Angikium’a went on to explain that even their group did not consent their land for Asia Pacific Investment Development (APID) to register but it was registered without their knowledge.
Hence, he said given these challenges, “we have to exhaust whatever means possible to get our names into those land before we are totally left out like what happens to our land during the logging operations.
“Because this is what some people love to do is to ushering in their names into the land of those opposing mining to destroy and claim royalty benefit,” he added.
Furthermore, MP said it is a politicise article and comes from the network of those working against him to contest the National General Election.
“I have no problem with anyone wishing to contest the election because it is your democratic right, but to go public with none issues to question my reputation is very cheap,” added the Polynesian MP.
He said the core issue that initially went public in the media was the call by women and children of West Rennell on the destruction of mining operation there, but some people deviate from the significance of the matter and go politics.
However, MP said he will continue stand against mining and the reasons for that are obvious as follows:
1.Mining company has no good agreements with landowners.
2.Registration of the whole West Rennell was not right. Some of us never consented our land but have been registered,under the four trustees who we never elected or chosen. They were hand picked by a few people.
3.No rehabilitation of the mined land
4.People just dig as they wish and never know who owns that particular piece of land – that is how some people bully on the true landowners, which some of them are women and children.
Dr. Angikimu’a said he is considering filing a case for defamation by an unqualified journalist who compromise their work on the miseries of others.
By LYNNISSHA RUNA
