WAS IT SOCIAL AMNESIA?
A day after some Rewa village elders attended a workshop on protecting their environment and natural resources, some of them did exactly the opposite of what they learned and decided.
They had resolved that a management committee be set up to scrutinise proposed projects to carry out development activities in the Rewa River like dredging.
Related stories
They wanted all proposals to be discussed at village meetings so that the ordinary people can have their say. Their resolution then goes to the management committee which studies it and reviews the project.
It advises the villagers on the best way forward on environmental and financial implications. When all is agreed then it is signed by the heads of the yavusa (tribes) and the Roko Tui Dreketi (Paramount Chief of Rewa and Burebasaga). Before it was the other way around.
But some of the village elders who apparently went on a boat tour to see the impact of climate change had forgotten the processes they approved the day before and signed on the dotted line for a proposed dredging project.
Could they have been suffering from social amnesia?
DOCTORS’ WISH
Many in the medical profession are delighted with the naming of surgeon Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete as a provisional candidate for FijiFirst in the 2018 General Election.
They are hoping that he will win a seat in Parliament and become the new Minister for Health and Medical Services.
One of the areas he needs to urgently look at is a complete revamp of the maternity services, particularly at major hospitals including CWM Hospital.
Secondly, he must review the MBBS programme at Fiji National University to ensure that medical students get the best hands-on clinical experience and exposure.
BTL understands that the theory part is OK, but it’s the practical aspects that worry some senior doctors on the hospital floor. One thing is certain – Dr Waqainabete is sure to get the votes from the medical fraternity.
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Despite internal scrutiny over some controversial issues in University of Fiji it’s business as usual.
On Friday UniFiji will host the 5th Sir Moti Tikaram Memorial Lecture at its Samabula Campus in Suva. Chief Justice Anthony Gates will deliver the lecture on the topic “Can The Courts Always Deliver Justice And The Rule of Law?” Chief Justrice Gates comes with a wealth of knowledge in the law discipline.
