Great Council Of Chiefs Has Lost Its Meaning: Mosese Volavola

The Great Council of Chiefs (GCC) has lost its meaning and significance as it no longer serves its original purpose of upholding tradition, culture, and inheritance.

Mosese Volavola, the Nadroga Navosa Youth Representative said this while submitting his view during the GCC consultation review at the True Blue Hotel in Sigatoka.

Mr Volavola believed that the establishment of the GCC was originally for land legislation and the lease of land from foreigners.

However, he argues that this purpose has been lost, and the GCC now serves only political agendas.

Mr Volavola shared his earlier conversation with Turaga Na Ka Levu, Ratu Tevita Makutu, chief of Nadroga, where they agreed that the GCC has no meaning as the Vanua still struggle.

“GCC have drawn away from its purpose and moved into developments. We cannot shift to developments because we do not have any ownership.

“For an example, in Malolo, there are only four villages in this district and they have more resorts but still struggle.

“For us in the Nadroga Navosa province we have a lot of resorts and hotels. We have salad bowls, pines and yet we are using a six percent ratio of undeveloped capital value of our resources.

“This ratio was established from that colonial period until now, it hasn’t changed.

“Our leaders who ruled back then from the Ratu Mara time until now, we haven’t seen any change.

“It is degrading for our chiefs to be used in the GCC just for the political agenda of the government,” he added.

Review Team Leader, Jone Baledrokadroka acknowledged all the points made by Mr Volavola.

Story by: mereleki.nai@fijisun.com.fj