A primary school management in Macuata Province has been given permission to have the Leader of the National Federation Party Biman Prasad as chief guest on their prizegiving day.

This was confirmed yesterday by the Muanidevo Primary School manager, Satya Nand.

Early this week, Mr Prasad was informed by Mr Nand via email that the Permanent Secretary for Education, Iowane Tiko, had declined their request to have him as a chief guest for their school prize giving ceremony this month.

“We wrote a letter to Ministry of Education seeking for approval to have Mr Prasad as our chief guest since he is our former student,” Mr Nand said.

“Mr Tiko had declined and said to invite a Government official and not an Opposition member.

“The management was a bit upset however until yesterday Mr Reddy approved via phone call.”

Mr Prasad told Fiji Sun that he sent an email to Mr Tiko and copied in the Minister for Education, Mahendra Reddy, and the Prime Minister’s Office questioning whether it was Government’s policy that only Government officials were supposed to be the chief guest at school prize givings.

“Such decision by the ministry amounts to discrimination and ill will against me as a member of parliament,” Mr Prasad said.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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