The Fijian Affairs Minister, Ratu David Toganivalu, in July 1986 said there could be a genuine case in the calls by the chief and people of Colo North to have a province of its own.
The article titled ‘Colo call considered’ was published on Sunday, July 27.
Ratu David said he would be having a serious and close look into the request.
He was reacting to calls made by the chiefs and people to the district officer in Nadarivatu, Anare Vuniwai, in several meetings in the interior for a separate province.
Ratu David was also the acting Prime Minister at the time.
He said no formal approach had been made either to him or to his Ministry.
The call was repeated at a meeting in Nadala to revitalise the Colo North Logging Company Ltd.
The Tui Naboubuco, Ratu Sakuisa Navakaroko, agreed with Ratu David to see something was done about their separate province.
Ratu Sakiusa said the present setup had been very inconvenient and costly to the seven yavusa who make up Colo North.
He said that the revitalisation of Colo North Logging could be a forerunner.
The former managing director of Colo North Logging, Semi Ketewai, said the abolition of the old Colo North Province had resulted in the non-registration of many new births in the Colo North tikina.
He said Colo North had one of the highest numbers of non-registration in the country.
Mr Vuniwai told The Fiji Times that the chiefs of the seven yavusa were unanimous in their desire to have their own province.
Colo North was Fiji’s 15th province until 1942 when it was abolished in a reorganisation of Fijian administration.
Mr Vuniwai said the yavusa were now split up among the five provinces of Ba, Ra, Nadroga, Naitasiri and Navosa.
He said the chiefs had complained that there were often committed to too many traditional obligations.
For example, he said, the people of Naboubuco were obliged to participate in Naitasiri’s functions and also had obligations towards the Colo North tikina functions.
