I salute the Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi.

It is a clear case of “cometh the hour, cometh the man” I consider myself to be very privilidged to bear witness to a very special event in our history that is rarely witnessed. That is the time when the true chiefs rise up to defend their people while the wannabees tend to fade into the background waiting for things to calm down, then they appear again to claim back their wannabe positions.
A “turaga” will always be a turaga, a “bati” will always be a bati, a “gonedau” will always be a gonedau, a “mataisau” will always be a mataisau and a “tauvanua” can never claim to be a true chief. The Marama Roko Tui Dreketi and the Turaga Roko Tui Bau are descendants of the true chiefly family of Fiji.
One may wonder why the respect for the chiefly system in Fiji has eroded so severely. It is solely because those who never have any business in being chiefs are forcing their ways into Ratu and Adi titles which they never have the right to in the first place and claiming to be descendants of non-titled, non-existant chiefs of old. These are the types that is commonly known by any rugby player as “coming in from the side” type of chiefs.
We have often testified that the chiefs are from God. As is evident in this very special moment in the history of our existence as the Fijian race, that statement in the Bible can only apply to true blue blooded chiefs. Not to any Tom, Dick & Harry calling themselves Ratu and Adi but are very much at loss as to the job description of being one. Some of us will be very surprised to know that some of our very prominent Ratu and Adi have no rights at all to those titles. No wonder the members of the BLV were told to go sit under the mango tree and drink home brew. Because that august body is full of wannabees and people who don’t know their job.
A true chief will acknowledge that without his/her people, they are nothing. Therefore his/her service will always be to the people first and self later. A chief who respect his people will get respect in return and a true chief will readily acknowledge that people’s respect should never be taken for granted to justify discontinuing his respect for his people. A true chief will always have the welfare of his people close to his heart.
The above is rarely witnessed nowadays because true Fijians chiefs are an endangered species. Sadly, there are not many of them around and the Fijian people, as a unique race on the face of this earth, are being led to a slow death. Wannabe chiefs are more concerned with the figure in their bank account than with the livelihood of their people.
Many will highlight the fact that a woman is standing up in the face of danger to fight for what she believe in because of the Christian faith gifted to her and her people by her forefathers. What many will fail to realise is that regardless of whether it is a man or a woman, it takes a true blue blood to flow in your veins to be able counter head-on the dangers, the likes of which is descending upon the Fijian people.
I salute the Marama Roko Tui Dreketi for her courage and determination to fight for what she believe in and unconsciously being the hero for those who believe that good will always overcome evil. For a Catholic allowing herself to be humiliated for the sake of the Methodist and more so for her people, she has endeared herself to the hearts of many. Indeed, the Lord works in mysterious ways.
Blogger Nasima