Leaders within the Community Mine Continuation Agreement (CMCA) region in Western province are at the forefront to stop any attempt to serve court orders on OTML, following the National Court’s decision last Friday.
OTML is running normal operations and all leaders are in Tabubil awaiting the orders to be served.
They claim a minority group from South Fly took this court action without consulting them, subsequently, jeopardizing the lives of thousands.
About 36 leaders from the CMCA communities and the mine villages were at the Tabubil Airport at 2pm yesterday, awaiting the arrival of the chartered plane that was to bring lawyers who were said to be travelling to Tabubil to serve the court orders to OTML.
They said they read about the court orders in the media and were enraged.
Spokesperson for the seven mine villages, Joel Dangim, said they will not entertain the court orders.
The National Court on Friday upon application from certain leaders from South Fly issued orders for OTML not to dump anymore waste into the river system.
One representative re-echoed Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s sentiments calling on the courts to be responsible when handing down decisions that would the affect lives of people.
CMCA Spokesman, Richard Zumoi, warned lawyers not to come either to Tabubil or Kiunga. He says they were looking at ways to discuss how waste and other issues can be managed and not through court orders.
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