municipal stew

Strong odours from Suva’s municipal stew

Lawbreaking, inefficiency, wastefulness and corruption were just four of the words used on the re port of a special committee of inqu iry into the affairs of the Suva City Council. The committee, appointed by the Fiji Government, spared neither councillors nor staff in a hard-hitting report.

Dealing with the report is one of the first tasks of the newly appointed Minister for Urban Development and Housing, Mr Jonati Mavoa. In a rather mild comment he said that there was something “very wrong” with the council and that he would be taking action in the report. But there were legalities to be sorted out before he could say what action he would take.

Under fire in the report were the Mayor, Cr Joape Rokosoi, Cr Jone Banuve, Cr Maan Singh, and the Town Clerk, Mr Mosese Vunivutu.

Cr Rokosoi issued a statement say ing he had not committed any cri minal act. Some of the criticism aimed at him in the report was un justified, he said. But he agreed the report was correct in saying that members of the 20-man council spent too much time interfering with the work of the council staff.

The committee reported there were many occasions when the council failed to conduct its affairs in line with the law. Dishonoured cheques reflected nothing but dis credit on the councillors and senior officers. Almost 200 cheques were dishonoured in the first six months of 1977. They included 20 personal cheques, amounting to $1 596, cash ed by councillors and council staff among whom were the Mayor, Cr Banuve and Mr Vunivutu. Council officers who handled the cheques failed to tell the council or the Minister of Urban Development because they were afraid of losing their jobs.

There were cases where the electricity revenue officer gave preferential treatment to staff and councillors on outstanding ac counts. There were instances where councillors were in arrears with their rates and some officers believ ed the arrears were allowed to ac cumulate because of the councillors’

positions.

Cr Rokosoi was recorded as hav ing paid no rates since 1973, and Cr C. P. Bidesi settled sizeable arrears only a few months before the com mittee inquiry.

City Transport had been allowed to continue improper use of a pro perty. The owner of the company was Cr Maan Singh.

Advance payments were made to Banuve Bros on a maintenance con tract, but neither advance payments nor progress payments were pro vided for in the original contract.

Witnesses gave evidence that the reason for the advance payments was that the partners on Banuve Bros were two serving councillors and a previous mayor.

One witness said that veiled threats had been made by the third partner, Mr Isireli Vuibau, that if the advance payments were not made there would be unpleasant consequences for the staff concern ed.

The committee was critical of an “abortive trip" Cr Bidesi made to Vancouver in the course of a pro posed visit to Britain to inspect electricity generators. It was difficult to see how the council (a previous council) had been so irra tional as to send a totally un qualified person to inspect a highly complicated piece of machinery.

“The decision of the present council to reimburse Cr Bidesi for at least part of the cost of this trip.

from which no benefit whatsoever accrued to the council defies com prehension,” the committee com mented.

The council was continuing to employ more unestablished staff than needed. Unqualified staff were causing inefficiency and wasting council money. Overstaffing was also wasting money. Staff numbers could be reduced if properly qualified people were employed.

The rate collection policy was un satisfactory and contributed to the council’s "present unhappy financial position”. Rates accounts and busi ness licences had been allowed to continue in a state of disarray.

There had been little attempt in the last two or three years, if ever, to make a cost-benefit analysis of various council operations.

The committee said successive mayors, councillors and council of ficers in general showed abysmal ig norance of the Local Government Act. It listed many breaches of the

Joape Rokosoi ... a mayor under fire.

law and of council meeting by-laws.

Councillors had remained in meetings when they should have declared their interest and left. Cr Rokosoi had presided over a meet ing of the full council on June 30 when dishonoured cheques were being discussed. It was evident that he was aware that his cheques might well be included in the list. It was hard to accept that Cr Jone Banuve was unaware that his cheques had been dishonoured and were in the list.

The committee said it could not place any reliance in Cr Banuve’s evidence.

The committee said Cr Len Usher, the past mayor, was an im portant witness. He had admitted that during his tenure of office he did not strictly abide by the letter of the law, but that was largely unwit ting, and he had the best interests of the council and community in mind.

Cr Usher was clearly concerned with the rapidly deteriorating situ ation in the council and gave the committee valuable written material.

Cr Etuate Tavai was commended for a forthright and uncompromis ing approach.

The committee said the council’s central administration needed a rapid and dramatic overhaul, but it did not consider Mr Vunivutu and senior officers in his department to be capable of it.

Cr Rokosoi said he had sat in the mayor’s office in all honesty trying to solve the problems of Suva. He did not think it would be fair to staff and members for him to resign. He intended to see out his full term as mayor and at the end of 1977 hoped to see an Indian councillor succeed him.

Cr Maan Singh’s name has been mentioned in this respect.

He claimed that the Ministry of Urban Development and the council should try to find ways and means to improve the system. The present council had inherited an admin istrative mess from past councils.

Cr Rokosoi thought a council committee should study the report but there should not be a full coun cil debate because there would be a lot of mud-slinging.

“The person who will have at tention focused on him will be Cr Usher,’’ he said. He seemed to have been given preference on giving in fromation to the committee.