PRESS RELEASE
CALL TO STOP INVITING UNKNOWN FOREIGN COMPANIES TO BOUGAINVILLE
PANGUNA (18/04/2018): THERE is strong opposition from the titleholders of the Special Mining Lease area of the Panguna mine to bring in the largely unknown Australian mining junior RTG Ltd.
The titleholders say that Philip Miriori is not recognised by them as the duly elected chairman of the SML Osikaiyang Association and has no mandate to speak on behalf of the Panguna titleholders.
Paramount Chief of Guava Village, Thomas Oni, has called his younger brothers Philip Miriori and Lawrence Daveona to stop talking to RTG as they do not have his mandate nor the mandate of all the titleholders to enter into any deals with any foreign company.
“I am the titleholder of the mine pit area and I do not want my small brothers inviting RTG to Bougainville as the titleholders support the development plans put forward by BCL for the new Panguna Project,” Mr Oni said.
“I want my small brothers to immediately stop talking to RTG and also stop entering into new deals with RTG as we do not support anything that they are doing. Everything they are doing is in isolation and we do not know what they are doing. We know what BCL is doing as their officers are always on the ground and in contact with the titleholders.”
He said BCL has the full support of the titleholders as the company is now majority owned by Bougainvilleans through the Autonomous Bougainville Government and is a local company as opposed to a foreign entity.
Mr Oni said a talked about 25 per cent interest in Central Mekamui Exploration Ltd did not belong to the titleholders, the ABG or general Bougainvilleans.
“This shareholding belongs only to Philip Miriori and that is not fair to the titleholders, ABG and the rest of Bougainville, as he would benefit from it, not us,” he said.
“BCL on the other hand is majority owned by the ABG with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill in his wisdom deciding to transfer 17.4% of the PNG shares from Rio Tinto to the landowners and other Bougainvilleans. This makes BCL a majority Bougainvillean company and it makes perfect sense for us to be supporting the company we own.
“The actions of my small brothers should be a matter of concern to everyone including the titleholders of Panguna. BCL is slowly fulfilling its outstanding commitment to the Panguna Landowners and they have been spending money in the communities supporting health and education and other important events, which is something that we welcome.”
Mr Oni said other than supporting individuals like Mr Miriori and his friends, he was not aware of RTG spending any money in support of the broader community.
“I also recall the recent comments of President Momis in a Radio NZ interview, where he said RTG was causing a lot of confusion and division in the community. This is something we should not tolerate considering this company does not have the support of the customary titleholders,” he said.
Ends..////
Approved for immediate Release.
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