Dear Editor – The women and children who own the Bugusule land on San Jorge Island, Isabel Province, welcome any decision from the Government for an international tender so that a genuine company can be selected to mine the nickel deposit on our land.
Straight after we signed the surface access agreement in 2014 one of our elder brothers who persuaded us to sign the documents died and up till now, we do not appoint any individual to represent or act on our behalf in dealing with our land.
If someone said that he is representing the Bugusule land owners he is a liar and he is acting on his own and not from the clan.
Now that Axiom has completed its prospecting period on Bugusule, we are yet to receive any payment from the prospecting activities done by the company on our land and we strongly object any decision for Axiom to conduct mining activities on our land.
Note: In Isabel we practice matrilineal type of land ownership and I am writing this letter on behalf of women and girls in my clan who are unable to write or express themselves.
Janet Tahi Voda Wong
Landowner
Bugusule land
