Granger calls on Lindeners to remain mobilised

Four months after the deadly protest over the hike in electricity tariffs in Linden, which led to the signing of a pact to restore peace in the mining community, opposition leaders are calling on residents to take full advantage of the agreement.

The agreement provides for the setting up of a television station in Linden, the establishment of a technical team to investigate the electricity increase, a commission of inquiry into the deaths of the three protestors and the establishment of a Land Selection Committee in Region 10.
At a meeting held on Sunday evening at the Palm Tree Cinema Square at Burnham Drive, Wismar, Linden, Opposition Leader David Granger and other speakers urged members of the community to remain mobilised to ensure the terms of the agreement are implemented.
“If you are divided, you would be destroyed as a community, you have demonstrated your unity, this is the moment to mobilise, do not lose faith, do not be disorganised… have faith in yourselves, we want to see strong communities, we want to know that when contractors come into your community, if they try to give you bad work, you must bring it to the attention of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), you deserve good roads, water, proper solid waste management and the only way you can do it is if you are vigilant in your community.”
Granger encouraged persons within the community to ensure that they are educated, and praised the efforts by residents who are working to rebuild the One-Mile Primary School, which was destroyed during the unrest.
He encouraged residents to support and mobilise help for the project. Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon noted recent developments coming out of the agreement, but said “the struggle is still on”, to ensure all agreed to is achieved.

He noted that the region has acquired about 75 per cent of the equipment needed to operationalise the television station. “We’ve already acquired the materials to start constructing the building. We’ve already acquired a lot of the technical equipment that will be used for broadcasting. We’ve acquired the tower that will ensure the signal reaches as far as Ituni and Kwakwani; we are now to acquire the transmitter.”
He said that a date has been set for the switching-on of the television station, while noting that it is the constitutional rights of the people to receive transparent and uninterrupted information.
“You will ensure that you hold the government to that agreement that they signed to honour.”
Speaking in relation to the Land Selection Committee, which was established last Thursday, the regional chairman said that the body will give residents an opportunity to have a say in how the land in the region is being utilised.