- Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
Meridie Rowe, right, president of the Maroon Federal House of Assembly (MFHA) and other concerned Maroons gather in front of this cell site that they say caused extensive damage to their personal property during its period of construction.
Teino Evans, Staff Reporter
THE MAROONS of Accompong in St. Elizabeth are seeking compensation from the island's two leading cell phone companies, Cable and Wireless and Digicel for damage, they say, that was done to personal property when both companies set up separate cell tower sites more than a year ago in the community.
According to Meridie Rowe, president of the Maroon Federal House of Assembly (MFHA), the heavy equipment which was used to clear and build these sites had damaged the crops and personal properties of the residents.
"They (the cellular phone companies) should make some attempt to compensate these private owners, because the agreement reached by the companies and the colonel would only include the lease of land," Mr. Rowe said. Rowe also said the Maroons were now disgruntled over the issue and "people affected were seriously considering personal redress."
The three persons most affected by the damage, Michael Genas, Cleon Rowe and Clive Robb, have appealed to the leadership of the Accompong Maroon Council and representatives from both Cable and Wireless and Digicel to come to some agreement with them that will seek to compensate for the damage.
While pointing to large cracks in the wall of his house and a section of his land that had been destroyed allegedly by tractors, Clive Robb insisted that if he was not compensated for the damage done, cell site owners would not be allowed back in Accompong.
Cleon Rowe said he gave no one permission to take possession of his land where a cell site now stands. "All that happen is that one day mi get up and hear seh dem bulldoze di place," he said.
Meridie Rowe told The Sunday Gleaner that both companies were sent letters as early as February this year, asking them to meet with the Maroon Board of Elders to hear the grouses, but to date there has been no response.
When contacted, Everald Edwards, Corporate Communication Officer at Cable and Wireless Jamaica Limited, said that the company had already completed a number of repairs in that community.
"Repairs were made to the access road leading up to our cell site located in the community and we have erected a retaining wall for one resident whose property could have been affected by our work to erect the site," said Mr. Edwards in a statement released to The Sunday Gleaner on Friday.
Mr. Edwards said however, that the company was not aware of any commitment to repair the community's main road which was in a state of disrepair prior to the start of work on the cell site and "it was no worse off upon our having completed our work," the statement said.
According to Mr. Edwards, representation for the erecting of another retaining wall in the community would have to be investigated to determine the company's liability.
The company, Mr. Edwards says, is preparing to visit the site as soon as possible to determine whether its work has resulted in any damage to property in the community which may have been overlooked, and where necessary, they will effect any needed repairs.
The Sunday Gleaner was unable to reach Digicel for a comment but some residents said the company had done some repairs to the road near to their cell tower site.
