By Martha Taumata Faavae
All is forgiven for the village of Fasito’o-tai after making a traditional apology to Government for insulting comments on Facebook by one of its chiefs.
The traditional ‘ifoga’ was made on the grass lawn in front of the Government building and accepted.
The village ‘pulenu’u’ Tagoiaena Maotua, who led the apology by a group of about 20 , mostly men, said afterwards that it was an attempt to get back on the good side of Government.
The village chiefs wanted to ensure Fasito’o-tai is not missed out of the promised village grant handouts.
‘We don’t want to just stand by and watch as the Government cash grants are being dished out to other villages,” the Fasito’o-tai village spokesman said.
The village ‘matai’ who risked the village chances of getting a grant share with shaming remarks against the Government on social media was fined heavily for doing so.
After a village meeting of chiefs and orators the man and his family were fined 100 pigs.
He was also to provide fine mats to be offered as gifts to make the Government happy again and put the village back on their good books.
The Fasito’o-tai village traditional ifoga is the most recent in a series of apologies to Government started by the church leaders last year during the political instability that divided the country.
The bad mouthing of Government in office has become a normal in the expression of public opinion on social media that started with the previous HRPP led Government.
It continues to the new Government under the FAST party leadership.