STRAIGHT TALK: Our Founding Editor-in-Chief has never shied away in the last four decades from holding the Great Council of Chiefs to account, for many ordinary i-Taukei commoners are caught between Chiefocracy, Democracy, and Tradition.
*While there are rumblings in Cakaudrove that the chiefly Father-Son are lording it up in Parliament at the expense of their subjects, many in Namosi are claiming that their CHIEF Ratu Suliano Matanitobua brought disgrace to the PROVINCE by entering Politics and Parliament.
*We found a calendar from 1940 (see below) where Namosi was selected by the Fiji Colonial Government as the perfect POSTER VILLAGE.
*Today, its reputation lies in ruins, with the province declining to participate in the upcoming GCC meeting, and its paramount chief behind the prison bars, all because he wanted to be Chief and Politician.
*Matanitobua was charged with falsely stating that his permanent place of residence was in Namosi Village, Namosi and obtained $38,378.22 between August 2019 and April 2020.
The representative of Yavusa Nabukebuke, Nailili, in the province of Namosi, Ratu Ifereimi Buaserau Camaisala says the new Great Council of Chiefs should not include leaders who are part of a political party.
Ratu Ifereimi says traditional leaders who are part of a political party should resign from their party before joining the meeting this week.
He says this will remove politics from the GCC and also won't allow politics to meddle in the affairs of the iTaukei body.
He also acknowledged the Government for bringing back the GCC, which has not been in existence for the past decade.
Ratu Ifereimi says he understands that Namosi will not be represented at the GCC meeting on Bau Island, however, he says that he will attend the meeting on behalf of his province to show their support for the return of GCC.
He also questions why Ratu Suliano Matanitobua, the high chief of Namosi, is not allowing their province to be represented in this meeting.
He says they understand that Ratu Suliano is in prison and could not attend the meeting, but he could have selected one of his sons to be part of the meeting.
The representative says before, when the Tui Namosi could not attend, one of the men in the chiefly family was selected to be part of the meet. Ratu Ifereimi says they were also not consulted about the decision.
Meanwhile, Minister for i-Taukei Affairs Ifereimi Vasu says the Namosi Provincial Council has followed the protocols.
He says they have visited the Turaga Vunivalu, Tui Namosi Ratu Suliano Matanitobua and during their meeting, they had decided that there will be no representatives from Namosi.
Vasu says the Ministry respects the decision taken by Namosi. Source: Fijivillage News
Ratu Ifereimi says traditional leaders who are part of a political party should resign from their party before joining the meeting this week.
He says this will remove politics from the GCC and also won't allow politics to meddle in the affairs of the iTaukei body.
He also acknowledged the Government for bringing back the GCC, which has not been in existence for the past decade.
Ratu Ifereimi says he understands that Namosi will not be represented at the GCC meeting on Bau Island, however, he says that he will attend the meeting on behalf of his province to show their support for the return of GCC.
He also questions why Ratu Suliano Matanitobua, the high chief of Namosi, is not allowing their province to be represented in this meeting.
He says they understand that Ratu Suliano is in prison and could not attend the meeting, but he could have selected one of his sons to be part of the meeting.
The representative says before, when the Tui Namosi could not attend, one of the men in the chiefly family was selected to be part of the meet. Ratu Ifereimi says they were also not consulted about the decision.
Meanwhile, Minister for i-Taukei Affairs Ifereimi Vasu says the Namosi Provincial Council has followed the protocols.
He says they have visited the Turaga Vunivalu, Tui Namosi Ratu Suliano Matanitobua and during their meeting, they had decided that there will be no representatives from Namosi.
Vasu says the Ministry respects the decision taken by Namosi. Source: Fijivillage News
