With all due respect to the Government, I believe the “Live to tell a resilient Fiji” event to be held at Albert Park in Suva next week to commemorate the one year anniversary of Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston is not a wise move.

This column and social media have Fijians who have questioned the Government about its delay in rebuilding schools that still use tents and in not getting its priorities right.

I believe this event is one of them.

What benefit will a plaque to commemorate the 44 lives that were lost during the massive disaster bring to its survivors who are still living in tents and struggling to survive?

Are some Fijian lives more important than others? What about the other Fijians who have lost their lives in other natural disasters in the past?

Aren’t they important?

The celebration in Fiji last year when Fiji won its first gold medal in the history of the Olympics Games is the greatest testimony to the world, that Fiji is greater than Winston.

Let us not set a precedent as we might get something worse than Severe TC Winston, claiming more lives. What then? Another memorial plaque after one year?

The general election is coming up next year and the best “Live to tell a resilient Fiji” the Government could do is to continue to visit all the families and Fijians affected by Winston and continue listening and meeting their needs.