"I am utterly appalled by the shocking decline of the Miss Fiji Pageant!" These strong words came from Alisi Rabukawaqa, who was crowned Miss South Pacific Islands in 2011. She expressed her dismay over what she deemed a string of "unprofessional encounters" and "baseless accusations" stemming from her role as a personal chaperone for Miss Fiji, Dr. Peggy Ravusiro.
Ms. Rabukawaqa elaborated on how her journey began with the pageant when she participated as part of the Suva support team for Miss Hibiscus, Rhyelle Aisea. "After the pageant concluded, Peggy reached out to me, and the team invited me to take on the role of her chaperone," she explained, noting that she accepted this offer because of the good intentions she perceived from the team.
However, she claimed that before she could attend an official meeting with the Miss Fiji Pageant committee, she was made aware of certain allegations regarding her character that had been circulated by the committee itself. According to Ms. Rabukawaqa, these allegations included purported claims about nonexistent contractual ties with the Suva City Council and suggestions that she was unfit for the chaperone position.
Despite the negative remarks, she showed up to the meeting, only to be confronted with what she described as "unfounded attacks" against her character. "The whole experience of that meeting struck me as entirely unprofessional," she remarked, clearly frustrated by the situation.
She emphasized that her personal support for Dr. Peggy was distinct from the Miss Fiji Pageant Committee and did not necessitate their approval.
As of now, the Miss Fiji Pageant Committee has yet to address Ms. Rabukawaqa's statements but has announced that they will issue a response today.
