Ba is the only province in Fiji that has more than 50 per cent of its chiefly and customary titles filled.
Native Lands Commission chairman Ratu Vananalagi Vesikula shared this with chiefs and elders during the Ba Provincial Council meeting yesterday.
In his presentation, Mr Vesikula noted that of the 537 chiefly and customary titles in Ba, only 386 were filled, and 151 vacant.
The NLC chairman said a major challenge the commission faced was updating the records of those who had inherited the titles.
Mr Vesikula said the names of those submitted to the commission were recorded as chiefs and customary title holders.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said in his address to chiefs of the Ba Province that filling vacant chiefly titles was imperative.
“This will maintain the vanua’s stability and allow for more thorough and timely consultation on development initiatives and more efficient execution of development projects once they are approved,” Mr Bainimarama said.
“Those individuals who have not been confirmed by the iTaukei Lands Commission in leadership positions have little or no mandate to speak for their vanua.
“And I give you fair warning: Government will not allow the leadership void in the vanua to be exploited by any self-serving group. Fill the vacant positions. Do it for your people. Do it for your vanua. Do it for Fiji.”
