Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka commissioned the Nayarabale Bailey bridge on Vanua Levu yesterday and acknowledged his predecessor Voreqe Bainimarama for beginning a project that would benefit villagers of Cakaudrove.
Mr Rabuka said the $2 million bridge meant children would no longer miss school during inclement weather and flooding would not be such a huge issue.
“Everyone has contributed to this successful project — including the contractors, villagers and the government — past and present,” he said.
“Development projects will continue and before us, the Ratu Josaia Bainimarama government started building the bridge we opened today.
“Such is the fact of life that progress happens.
“Some will be called to build roads but in today’s modern world, we don’t build roads but we better and improve the roads built by our predecessors.”
Mr Rabuka said they were grateful to the previous government and planners for the vision they had to construct the bridge for villagers.
Village headman Lote Turaga said during heavy rain when the river flooded, students would not be able to attend school and parents were not able to travel to the Labasa market to sell produce.
“Everyone gets affected and we’ve faced that problem for many years,” Mr Turaga said.
“We are grateful to the Bainimarama government for starting this project as we have asked for this bridge many times.
“Now we don’t have to worry about the floods or bad weather as the bridge will help us get safely across to the other side.”
