Over six thousand chiefly customary positions remain vacant, according to Permanent Secretary for iTaukei Affairs, Pita Tagicakirewa.
Approximately 47 percent of chiefly customary positions have been filled in recent years, leaving more than half of these positions vacant for an extended period.
Tagicakirewa warned that the absence of leadership in the vanua could lead to an increase in social issues.
“There are over 6,000 chiefly customary positions that remain vacant. The occupancy rate for the past several years is around 47 percent, which means more than half of these positions have been vacant for a long time,” Tagicakirewa said.
“If leadership is lacking in the vanua, we can naturally expect these problems to arise,” he added.
Efforts are now being made to strengthen Vanua Leadership and Vanua governance. Officers from the iTaukei Lands and Fisheries Commission are being deployed to visit various provinces.
“To strengthen vanua leadership and governance, the iTaukei Land and Fisheries Commission is visiting the provinces, including Rewa and recently returning from Cakaudrove, Bua, and Macuata, to fill these vacant chiefly and customary positions,” Tagicakirewa said.
He noted that the success rate of these visits has been high, at 80 percent. Every village will be visited and consulted.
“Things have remained stagnant for the past several years, but now we are visiting villages. Currently, we are in Serua doing the same work. Once this is completed, we will train our Vanua leaders on the importance of their roles. This is something that has been lacking,” he stated.
The Bose Vanua will be strengthened to address increasing issues such as drugs, HIV, and AIDS. The Ministry hopes to visit five provinces by the end of the year.