Mosese Raqio 
[Photo: FIJI GOVERNMENT/ FACEBOOK]
The Yavusa Munia yesterday celebrated the return of the original freehold title to its 1,110-hectare ancestral land on Avea Island in Vanuabalavu, Lau, ending a 36-year wait under the Government’s Freehold Land Buyback Scheme.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka officiated at the handover ceremony, describing the return of the island as more than the restoration of ownership, saying it represents the return of identity, hope and responsibility.
Rabuka congratulated the Yavusa Munia for fulfilling the requirements of the buyback scheme and urged landowners to use the land for sustainable and productive investment that will benefit future generations.
He also stressed the need to protect the island’s environment, saying economic development and environmental conservation must go hand in hand.
Speaking on behalf of the villagers, 70-year-old Etuate Uni said the occasion would be remembered as a historic day after generations of struggle.
Uni said their forefathers endured great hardship when they were forced to leave Munia, describing it as a painful chapter in their history.
He says the return of the land fulfils the dream of their ancestors and proves their sacrifices were not in vain.
Uni also acknowledged the Government and the late former Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, saying his vision to establish the Freehold Land Buyback Scheme gave the people renewed hope of reclaiming their ancestral land.
