Bose Vavataga 
Landowners of Nadakuvatu in Saru Village, Lautoka are calling on the government to act on its long-delayed promise to return NG 187, a 3,177-acre land in the Vanua of Vitogo.
Villagers say their forefathers fought to reclaim the land, and now it is their turn. They allowed the widening of the Tavakubu cemetery in good faith, expecting the land to be returned with compensation.
In February, Minister for Lands and Mineral Resouces Filimoni Vosarogo told Parliament that Cabinet had approved the reversion after the land survey was completed and registered.
Since then, the community says no update has been provided. NG 187 was originally acquired to support Lautoka’s early water catchment but became redundant after the Vaturu Dam took over as the city’s main source.
Previous governments acknowledged the reversion, but the process remained stalled for decades.
The five mataqali linked to NG 187,Tunuloa and Matarasiga of Vitogo, and Vidilo, Nadakuvatu, and Noi Batiri of Namoli say the land is part of their identity and history. They are urging Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Minister Vosarogo to follow through without further delay.
Vosarogo confirmed the reversion is finalised, saying only the paperwork remains.
“The government has done its job of announcing the reversion of the land. Now only the paper work needs to be done to get things sorted and the land returned.”
For Nadakuvatu villagers, NG 187 is more than land,it is heritage, and they insist on reclaiming it now.
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