The paramount chief of Rewa and head of the Burebasaga Confederacy, Ro Teimumu Kepa, has issued a bold call for the Great Council of Chiefs to be a driving force in training and equipping traditional leaders for modern challenges.

Speaking at the opening of the newly rebuilt Vale Ni Bose, Ro Teimumu said chiefs must be educated, spiritually grounded, and equipped to serve their people with wisdom and discernment.

Ro Teimumu says it’s time for the GCC to lead in converting communal wealth into real, sustainable gains for their people.

The paramount chief pointed to the irony that while the iTaukei own most of Fiji’s land and resources, they remain largely on the economic margins.

“The iTaukei people were being legally stripped of the ownership of most of their communally owned resources so that many were perplexed and quite confused as to why the Indigenous were, to this day, “so asset rich but cash poor,” not appreciating how they were forced to divest.”

Ro Teimumu reiterated the need to mobilize these resources more effectively, calling on provincial councils to partner and innovate for long-term economic growth.

“Our role as the largest resource owners in the country, and I’m very mindful that my own province of Rewa occupies less than 1% of all land area in Fiji, we must, however, be more productive and innovative. We must strive to mobilize investment and unblock economic growth towards a better outcome for all the people in Fiji.”

She said Fiji’s chiefs must be empowered with education and moral authority to address complex societal issues that modern Fiji is dealing with.

“The chiefs must be functional and relevant. Chiefs must be educated. They must be spiritually grounded, enabling them to be the servant leaders the Lord wants us to be. Chiefs must seek the wisdom of Solomon, who in I Kings 3:9 asked the Lord for a “discerning heart” to govern His people and to distinguish between right and wrong”.

Ro Teimumu Kepa’s message was clear: traditional leadership must evolve, and the iTaukei must lead the way forward, not only in heritage but also in prosperity.

The meeting of the chiefs today is underway behind closed doors, and the media will be briefed on the outcome later this afternoon.

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