The Prime Minister’s Office permanent secretary, Lt. Col Pio Tikoduadua will be chief guest at this year’s Rotuma Day celebration on the remote island.
Rotuma Day is celebrated on May 13 by Rotumans everywhere, especially back home.
It is always a wonderful time for Rotumans to get together and celebrate in style the island cession to the United Kingdom in 1881.
Government recognises the importance of this remote island as a dependant of Fiji. Every year a Government delegation from various ministries take the opportunity to visit the island and update themselves with the various works their government departments are doing on the island.
On Wednesday morning an advance party of government officials will be departing Suva for Rotuma to attend this unique celebration.
This year, for the first time, the chief guest will visit the original site of the deed of cession at Lihava where the Gagaj Maraf will read the deed of session in Rotuman.
On the same day the chief guest will then launch the one million tree planting program at Atapisi.
Lt. Col Tikoduadua and government officials will be accorded the traditional welcoming ceremony and feast called “mamasa”.
The chief guest will also take time to visit the various stalls of the seven districts with their display of cultural items and root crops, especially yams.
Lt. Col Tikoduadua will also host a talanoa session with the people of Rotuma at Oinafa Village hall.
Officers from Fiji Development Bank, and the Fiji National Provident Fund will also be part of the team for Rotuma.
Education officers from the Ministry of Education are part of the advance team doing external school review inspection on all island schools.
Education permanent secretary, Dr Brij Lal will be going to Rotuma to open the new Form Seven for Rotuma High School.
-ENDS-