Mayor should have been tactful: Minister
Friday August 31, 2007

Suva Lord Mayor Ratu Peni Volavola

Suva Lord Mayor Ratu Peni Volavola should have been more tactful when considering the use of his official mayoral vehicle at the Methodist conference in Macuata, says Fiji's interim Minister for Local Government Jone Navakamocea.

Navakamocea says he has sought a verification of Ratu Peni's comments from the Suva City Council that he is entitled to use the mayoral vehicle in his personal capacity.

He said he is not sure whether Volavola had the authority to do so and needs to verify the procedures.

"We need to verify his statements from the SCC on whether he is really entitled to use that vehicle for private use and whether he had clearance from the Council to do so," Navakamocea said.

"But this has been a most unfortunate affair considering that Ratu Peni was recently appointed the vice president of the Methodist Church," he added.

"I don't think that it was a proper thing to do as using official vehicles for personal use is always a sensitive issue," he said.

"He should have been more tactful."

Navakamocea said since he was a Methodist Church VP, "the church could have secured a private vehicle for Ratu Peni to use".

The Citizen's Constitutional Forum yesterday accused Ratu Peni of "misusing Council privileges again".