FOR almost 50 years the people of Nasealevu, Viriqilai and Vatua have been forced to walk for almost 10km to neighbouring Savusavuitaga Village to access bus services.
The villagers claim that promises made almost half a century ago to improve access for 400 villagers have not been realised.
Villagers who spoke to The Fiji Times said they felt betrayed because they had given their land in exchange for one tabua (whale’s tooth) in 1976 to establish Labasa’s main water source.
They said while 30,000 Labasa residents enjoy daily water supply from their land, their people continued to suffer.
The villagers claimed expectant mothers have delivered babies on the gravel road, sick loved ones have died because of unavailability of transport and their children walk 14km through a bush track to Vudibasoga Catholic Primary School.
Turaga ni yavusa Nasealevu Eneriko Viliame said the only road accessed by the three villages were constructed by logging companies.
“No government, from the 1970s until today, has come to our aid to improve the roads and make life easy for our people,” Mr Viliame said.
“For the past four decades, we have prepared big feasts, accorded full traditional ceremonies and gifted many government ministers and they promised to fix our roads but nothing has happened.
“Our people are paying $50 to travel to Labasa.
“If we don’t get any transport, we go by horse or walk and it’s not easy.”
He said numerous requests have been made at village, district and provincial meetings but the ‘kau cake system’ has left them disappointed.
“Most of us were born here and we remember our fathers and grandfathers going through this same issue and today, we still face the same problem they faced.
“It’s sad because we don’t know who else to believe.”
The Fiji Roads Authority said in a statement “construction of the road has been prioritised upon consultation with the Commissioner Northern’s Office”.
“The FRA is currently reviewing the tender and anticipate to award it in the second quarter of this year,” the FRA stated.
