Ro Teimumu urges chiefs to be more productive and innovative

Leaders of the Vanua have been urged to be more productive, innovative and strive to mobilise investment and unblock economic growth towards a better outcome for all the people of Fiji.

While opening the Great Council of Chiefs Complex or the Vale ni Bose Levu Vakaturaga, Burebasaga paramount chief Marama Bale Na Roko Tui Dreketi Ro Teimumu Kepa says the chiefs must be functional and relevant and they must be educated.

She says they must be spiritually grounded, enabling them to be the servant leaders the Lord wants them to be.

She adds chiefs must seek the wisdom of Solomon, and that is what people ask of their chiefs, to be people of good faith and honest character.

She says the GCC must have policies and programmes to train chiefs for their role in filling the 16-year gap in the iTaukei way of life.

Ro Teimumu adds no school curriculum offers this training, which must be addressed by the GCC. The Burebasaga paramount chief asks how do chiefs deal with the drug epidemic, prevalent HIV AIDS, violence against women and children, mental health, NCDs, teenage pregnancies, homelessness, and all the other social ills which identifies the iTaukei as the highest number of those affected.

She says the chiefs cannot deal with this on their own, so proper training must be provided where time is of the essence.

Ro Teimumu says the binding ILO Indigenous and Tribal Peoples' Convention No.169 was ratified by Fiji in 1998, when Sitiveni Rabuka was Prime Minister.

She says they are grateful to the Coalition Government's endorsement for Fiji to be bound by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) as these reaffirm the group rights and unique aspirations of the indigenous people. She adds they understand that the Government has a strategy on implementing an action plan and laws that will fulfill their commitments under the ILO Convention 169 and the terms of the UNDRIP.

The two-day GCC meeting starts tomorrow.

The traditional ceremony today was presented by members of the Ministry for iTaukei Affairs and the members of Natauvakarua clan of Kalokolevu.

Attending the opening ceremony is former President and Tui Macuata Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Aviation Viliame Gavoka, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Cooperatives, Trade and SMEs Manoa Kamikamica, RFMF Commander Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai, Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu, members of Cabinet, GCC members, foreign diplomats and members of the public.