REMORSELESS: He benefitted by inflicting misery on the most vulnerable at the bottom of the FNU rung - like the housmaid Kinisimere Musunavanua; all races got his big yielding stick as he hid behind the regime's treasonous coup. In the end his own disciple Mahendra Reddy betrayed him to save his own skin
Coming soon: How Ganesh Chand and his side-kick Narendra Prasad (now hiding in New Zealand) misused FNU credit cards for personal use; will FICAC charge him with further criminal offences, and others on the FNU Council for aiding and abetting abuse office? We will publish contents of hundreds of new e-mails leaked to Fijileaks from inside the FNU revealing widespread corruption and abuse of office!
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HEALTH and Medical Services Minister Jone Usamate says more and more Fijians are transiting from organic farms to supermarkets. Mr Usamate said Fijians were increasingly consuming more machine-based food than land-based food and drinks, moving from organic to chemical-based processed foods.
"Recent studies (STEPS 2011) have shown that Fijians are not consuming enough fruits and vegetables daily despite the abundant supply of these health giving foods in the land," he said. "World Health Day 2015 has reminded us of the importance of foods that come from farms and advocates that these foods are for Fiji's foods security through improved food choices." Mr Usamate's comments come as the country prepares to celebrate World Health Day tomorrow. The World Health Day 2015 will be launched at the Suva SDA Primary School tomorrow with the focus on consumption of local food. As part of their election strategy, the Fiji First Party promised free milk for Class One students throughout Fiji. Currently, the Bainimarama Government is delivering on the promise and the milk, no doubt to the great delight of Rewa Dairy Company and its owner, CJ Patel. Whether this is the best way to use tax payers’ funds to improve children’s nutrition and education, I leave to the government nutritionists to answer (if they ever bother). By Wadan Narsey When it comes to taxation, the public well know the expression ‘one hand giveth and the other taketh’. But in Fiji, we have one Ministry that builds while others destroy. The Fiji government’s Ministry of Health professionals are valiantly and correctly exhorting us through the media to consume more of our local nutritious food and drinks. The worthwhile objective is to slow down or reverse Fiji’s epidemic of non-communicable diseases caused by our increasing consumption of more processed and less nutritious foods, some classified as ‘junk foods’. But the reports from the Fiji Bureau of Statistics household income and expenditure surveys all show evidence that our consumption of processed and imported foods is accelerating. We are consuming more imported flour and rice and less dalo and yams. We are consuming more imported meats like fatty lamb or chicken which is fed largely imported chicken feed, than our traditional proteins like fresh fish or shellfish. We are consuming less of our traditional vegetables like rourou and tubua (churaiya). We are consuming more of the junk foods including sweetened soft drinks, and less of our traditional snacks and drinks. Read here for the latest data: https://narseyonfiji.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/report-on-the-2008-09-household-income-and-expenditure-survey-fibos-2011/ or read this on marine food consumption: https://narseyonfiji.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/the-regression-of-marine-foods-consumption-in-fiji-changes-2002-03-to-2008-09-south-pacific-studies-322-pp105-127.pdf But the irony is that while one arm of government is trying to improve nutrition, other arms are helping to destroy it or standing idly by while it is destroyed. I give just four ongoing examples, involving the Ministry of Education and the private sector, but there are more. Ministry of Education and Sports In most developed countries, the ministries of education and government will not allow the manufacturers of junk food to sponsor school events. But it is perfectly OK in Fiji. For a few years now, the national athletic championships for schools has been called after a soft drink, Coca Cola, largely because the private soft drink company provides some funding which government is not willing to provide. The inevitable result is that the company brand name is thrust into children’s minds day in day out, and through out the year, associated with a healthy sporting exercise. The company brand name is mentioned dozens of times over television news, while the company representative enthuses about the passion that schools, teachers and students, are showing the Games. Instead, what the Ministry of Education does indirectly, is encourage the consumption of an incredibly sweetened drink, whose excessive consumption is associated with diabetes in our children. Often, meal packages from popular food outlets, include that product together with a hamburger or fish, with chips. Is it any wonder that with such official ministerial support, the consumption of that product keeps increasing, as does the incidence of diabetes. Milk and weet bix As part of their election strategy, the Fiji First Party promised free milk for Class One students throughout Fiji. Currently, the Bainimarama Government is delivering on the promise and the milk, no doubt to the great delight of Rewa Dairy Company and its owner, CJ Patel. Whether this is the best way to use tax payers’ funds to improve children’s nutrition and education, I leave to the government nutritionists to answer (if they ever bother). But astonishingly, the Bainimarama Government also announced that with the milk, they were also handing out Weet bix and special branded bowls and spoons to go with it. The Minister of Education (Dr Mahendra Reddy) and the Prime Minister (Bainimarama) duly made the presentations at some village school, accompanied of course by the ubiquitous salusalu, and grateful thanks from the villagers. Handouts, of any kind are always welcome, anywhere in Fiji. But, was the Ministry of Health consulted on this Weet bix initiative? Of course, the supplying company Sanitarium, and their agents in Fiji, would have been delighted to give it “for free”, but no doubt hoping that the consumption of that product will go up in future, as it is likely to do, especially with the Ministers’ blessings. But most Fiji families have good local breakfast foods, which the Wheetbix is substituting. If our children get used to Weet bix, of course, they will not want to eat dalo or kumala or yams or some roti and curry, for breakfast. The Weet bix is a more expensive and imported product, whatever its nutritional value. If the trend continues, Fiji will be importing more of such products, worsening our food security, and probably worsening the children’s nutrition, All with the blessing and assistance of the Minister of Education and the Prime Minister, of course. Chicken stickers and school products The public has been watching on television ads, school children and teachers being encouraged to buy a particular brand of chicken in order to collect stickers that can be redeemed by the schools for educational products. Just lately, the same company is using the scheme to send teachers and children on exchange visits to New Zealand. Of course these educational rewards are good for the children and teachers. But why are school children, teachers and schools being used to foster the consumption of a particular brand of protein, whose inputs are largely imported? Similarly, student and teacher exchange would normally be a good exercise, to be funded by the Ministry of Education and tax-payers who could ensure appropriate representation, not managed by a private company to boost its chicken sales by selecting and rewarding those who buy more of its chicken. Note that while some may claim that it is merely one chicken brand competing against another chicken brand, I can assure you that not only will our consumers end up consuming more chicken, of all brands, but they will be consuming less of all our traditional proteins such as fresh fish and shell fish. Exactly similar processes are at work when noodles or rice companies compete through pervasive advertisements which increase the consumption of all noodles and rice, and decrease the consumption of traditional carbohydrates (as the facts clearly indicate). Why does the Ministry of Education allow such advertising schemes which use children’s need for educational products, to influence families decisions on what protein to buy or not to buy? Your guess is as good as mine. Ministers, mud crabs and bio-diversity For several years members of the public have complained that Bainimarama’s ministers (Lands and Environment) have given permission for the reclamation of mangroves (tiri) for commercial development, even though there is no shortage of land for commercial or residential development in Fiji. Mangroves are still being destroyed by ministerial decree, such as between Grantham Road and Fletcher Road, Parliament and Nasese, Veisari, and even at Draunibota Bay (Lami) where the locals are still struggling against marine reclamation. Also being destroyed are the marine habitats for many species, including mud crabs and countless others which are essential parts of the marine food chain in neighboring marine areas, and part of the food security of Fijians. Then the public reads (Fiji Times, 2 April 2015) that the Prime Minister is releasing baby mud crabs in the same Draunibota Bay, declaring “”Thanks to the efforts of the Crab Company of Fiji, we humans are giving these little creatures a leg-up and the best possible chance to grow into adults”. Except that while some humans are giving the little creatures “a leg up”, other ministerial humans are utterly destroying them. Even the Consumer Council treads carefully where the powerful forces in Fiji are concerned. These are not new issues I am raising: they have been raised before. Read the articles here: https://narseyonfiji.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/the-big-macs-are-coming-nutrition-regression-in-free-markets-daily-post-29-oct-1998/ and https://narseyonfiji.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/the-advertising-war-sex-and-more-sex-daily-post12-november-1998/ I suspect that five years from now, given current trends, all the good efforts of the Ministry of Health and nutrition officials, will have been a total failure, against the marketing onslaught of private companies who have the support of thoughtless ministers. With the blessing of the Ministry of Education, the Coca Cola Games torch is now carried throughout hundreds of schools, with students and teachers lined up to honor it and implicitly, the product of course. While the soft drink vending machines are everywhere, there is little attempt to ensure that clean piped water is available for the thousands of children to drink as the better healthier thirst quenching drink. Also being destroyed are the marine habitats for many species, including mud crabs and countless others which are essential parts of the marine food chain in neighboring marine areas, and part of the food security of Fijians. Then the public reads (Fiji Times, 2 April 2015) that the Prime Minister is releasing baby mud crabs in the same Draunibota Bay, declaring “”Thanks to the efforts of the Crab Company of Fiji, we humans are giving these little creatures a leg-up and the best possible chance to grow into adults”. Except that while some humans are giving the little creatures “a leg up”, other ministerial humans are utterly destroying them. Fijileaks: The first FICAC Investigation into Chand and Finance Director Narendra Prasad was completed in 2012 and charges were recommended but did Khaiyum and regime direct FICAC to stall because Filipe Bole was implicated and election was planned for 2014; Andrew Moti Singh made a separate and damning allegations in September 2014 Fijileaks: We will reveal more cases against the 'Smiling Bully- Ganesh Chand'Wade Evans, the General Manager Technical Training, was summarily dismissed by the Fiji National University in May 2012; more details later
"I want the Indians to stay here. It will be a big challenge for us to convert them to Christianity...we either go that way, or they convert us and we all become heathens." - Sitiveni Rabuka, 1987 History Men: Fiji Sun's overseas lawyer Steven Stanton and the Declaration of the Republic of Fiji in 1987: On Re- reading Rabuka: No Other Way by Eddie Dean and Stan Ritova (1988) on the role of G-G Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau and the 1987 coup, which includes the role of Stanton: p79: Australian lawyer, Mr Steve Stanton, who was appearing in a case on the morning of the coup, said he saw a message brought in to Mr Justice Rooney a few minutes after 10am, and as he read it, everyone in the court room heard the judge breathe the word: "Oh, ----" The hearing broke up in some disorder, and Stanton went outside to find: "Balaclavas, gas masks, troops, running all around. You could see Rabuka in his sulu and coat talking to the politicians, and then the escorts took them away." Stanton says he had a bowl of grog with Rabuka (whom he hadn't met before) in the Opposition rooms. "He indicated that it had been executed with precision, and he was very happy. He had a lot of things to do, and he intended to go about his business and stay calm," Stanton recalls. Stanton, later that morning, was asked to go and see Mr Justice Kishore Govind, who wanted to discuss with him Fiji's Constitution - which Rabuka had claimed to have suspended, or abrogated. Stanton met Justice Govind, Sheehan and Rooney. "The judges were very apprehensive about this seemingly outrageous attack...on their judicial independence and impartiality...I spoke to Justices Sheehan and Rooney, who were a bit dismayed about what was going on, and they were seemingly apprehensive, but putting on a brave face". Justice Govind later indicated to Stanton, at a mutual friend's house, that he "was utterly abhorrent of the Colonel's usurpation of power, the affront to Her Majesty and her judges, apart from the legislature and the executive," according to the Australian lawyer. The judges advised the Governor-General that, in their view, Rabuka's actions were unconstitutional and his military regime was illegal. It was their views which helped encourage Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau to stand firm over the coming days and weeks, insisting that he was the sole legal authority in the land. p.91-92: There was a flood of mail, too, from around Fiji, and from around the world....The mail, and an Australian lawyer, were virtually the only input Sitiveni Rabuka had from outside Fiji: and both came after the May 14 coup. The lawyer, Steve Stanton, from Sydney, had been visiting Fiji for a considerable period of time on legal business; he was consulted by local lawyers, and he appeared in court for clients. Stanton felt he was well "in tune" with the community at large, and Fijian values. He met Rabuka, as previously mentioned, almost immediately after the coup, when the Colonel was taking a quick bowl of "grog" in the Opposition rooms in the Government Buildings, and was recruited soon after to advise the coup leader and his team on a number of matters. These included the legal or constitutional safeguards which would be needed to protect Rabuka and other military personnel who helped carry out the coup. Rabuka sought his opinion on the breaking of links with the Crown, and the possibility of the Queen ultimately becoming ceremonial Queen of Fiji. Stanton also provided opinions on the opinions of the Supreme Court judges, who had provided Sir Penaia Ganilau with their views of his status - and that of the Rabuka regime, which they consistently said was illegal and unconstitutional. When the declaration of the republic loomed Stanton was back in Fiji, and he worked with the newly-appointed Attorney-General and Minister for Justice on various decrees that were issued at that time. In a statement tape-recorded for the authors, Steven Stanton told how he was very close to events surrounding the final decision to declare the Republic (see Chapter 9). He also worked on the new republican Constitution before returning to Australia. In December, Rabuka indicated that Stanton, who was no longer advising him, had indeed provided a draft of a new constitution for a Fijian republic. p112: However, it now seemed that Rabuka was having second thoughts about discarding the 1970 Constitution or, to be more precise, irrevocably breaking the links with Britain. He expressed reservations on the night before the announcement that the Constitution had, in fact, been revoked. Lawyer Steve Stanton speaks of a sometimes tense discussion between Rabuka and his advisers and lawyers, at which he was told that there was no other way to go: Fiji must become a republic if Rabuka wanted to protect what he had gained so far, and lock the nation on a course which would guarantee the achievement of his coup "objectives". Subsequently, Stanton was authorized to prepare decrees associated with the announcement of a republic. This took him three days, and the documents were ready for signing on Sunday, October 4. The Colonel went to a rugby match in Nadi on the Saturday, and did not return to Suva that night, as expected. Stanton, and others, waited for him all Sunday in Suva. Stanton says he finally talked to Rabuka at the Colonel's house that evening when Stanton recalls, the Colonel indicated he was tired, and admitted to being somewhat confused by the increasing complexity of the situation. After further discussions, Rabuka signed the new decrees, and they were promulgated the next day, October 5, in a 70-minute early morning broadcast over Radio Fiji. Amongst other things the decrees set up a new Supreme Court ( and set out Public Service conditions. p.141: The issue of rights and individual freedoms will, of course, be resolved for the foreseeable future when Fiji gets its new constitution, still in the drafting stages. Thus far (February 1988), drafting of the Constitution has been done behind closed doors: there has been no public scrutiny of the process, or the details. Rabuka's long-standing aim is for the draft Constitution to be published some time during 1988. He wants it promulgated by decree - and then discussed and debated, ultimately becoming the main issue at the ensuing election for a new Parliament. There are various versions of a draft republican Constitution in existence, including one prepared by legal officers in the Fiji Miliatry Forces. There are at least two other drafts in existence - one prepared by Kelemedi Bulewa ("I have not seen it") and another drawn-up by Sydney lawyer, Steve Stanton ("We have not used it".) Hi Fijileaks,
rajend naidu has just posted a comment on your blog post, Coup hanger-on Alipate Qetaki replaced at NLTB: What next for Rabuka-Bainimarama henchman - remember he became A-G in Rabuka's post 1987 coup, and resurfaced in same role after the George Speight coup!, and you need to approve it: This man who was a prime mover and shaker in the racist, violent Rabuka coup of 1987 got me charged under the Official Secrets Act for publishing an article on Social Welfare in Fiji. That article did no citizen of Fiji any harm. In fact many professional people said they came to better understand what the Social Welfare Department was doing even though it was rather poorly resourced. By contrast Alipate Qetaki and his like minded racist colleagues in Rabuka's inner circle and the Taukei Movement did a great deal of harm to thousands of fellow Fiji citizens and to the country. Has Qetaki been charged for anything? Has he faced justice for his role in the 1987 coup? No, he hasn't. Instead he continued to be rewarded with top posts in the government and other institutions like the NLTB. "My fellow Fijians, In a few days’ time, we will celebrate Easter.
Since Ash Wednesday, it has been a time of prayer, introspection and almsgiving for all Christians. Good Friday is undoubtedly a reflective occasion as we remember God’s sacrifice in sending his only son Jesus, the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world through his suffering. Yet on Easter Sunday- the third day- mourning gives way to exultation as Jesus rose from the dead to give everlasting life. The values of Easter and the Christian religion which are love, empathy, forgiveness, good will and responsibility are values that all Fijians can celebrate and share, regardless of our personal beliefs. This weekend, as a united and one nation, let us remind ourselves of God’s love for us. Let us remember the importance of personal accountability and love for the good of every young Fijian and their futures. Jesus said: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Such a marvellous commandment and one which we should all strive to live by. I wish you all a Happy Easter.!" Opposition Leader Ro Kepa Teimumu's EASTER MESSAGE to Fiji "This week, I have joined thousands of Christians across the nation in recollecting the life and trials of a great man, the Messiah Jesus Christ. This Sunday, I will join thousands more and millions across the globe, in celebrating the resurrection of Christ and the salvation he offered mankind. Holy Week and Easter are times for reflection and renewal. We fondly remember the grace of an awesome God, who loved us so dearly that He would give us his only Son, so that we might live through Him. We recall all that Jesus endured for us regardless of religion, gender, age or race; the scorn of the crowds, the agony of the cross, all so that we might be forgiven of our sins and granted everlasting life. As Christians we recommit ourselves to following His example, to love and serve one another, with a special emphasis on serving the less fortunate amongst us. This responsibility is not only to each other, but it is a responsibility to GOD. A contract that accepts all human beings and embraces humanity without hate or an agenda to self-serve the few at the expense of all else. This week, we must also pay homage to the silent heroes who built Fiji. Those that came before the Indentured Laborers and the British. Those whose only passport was a Bible and a desire to share the Gospel with our ancestors. In the past, they were fondly remembered for bringing about civilization in Fiji and immortalised in our democracy’s founding documents. Although there is a concerted effort to remove this history, I join the thousands who refuse to deny them the sanctified honor they deserve for placing their lives and that of their families on the line to transform our part of the world from the cannibal isles to the 300 islands under the sun we call Fiji. The Gospel is not irreverent to our times, and the church, while in pursuit of justice and freedom for all, can be an effective advocate for the re-democratization of Fiji On this Easter weekend I ask that you join me in offering prayers for the poor and less fortunate citizens of Fiji, the people of Vanuatu and other Pacific communities devastated by the recent Cyclone Pam and the people of West Papua who are currently risking their lives for liberty and Justice, and the families of the recent Germanwings Flight 9525 crash. I also ask that you join me in prayer for the family and friends of the late Navneeta Devi." Ro Teimumu Vuikaba Kepa Leader of Oppositio Opposition Leader Ro Teimumu Kepa confirms that Suva Lawyer Richard Naidu is her nominee for the Constitutional Offices Commission In a statement issued today (2 April), Opposition Leader Ro Teimumu Kepa confirmed that she has nominated prominent lawyer Richard Naidu as her nominee to the Constitutional Services Commission. Ro Teimumu said she was delighted that Mr. Naidu had accepted her invitation to serve on the commission in accordance with the provisions of Sec 132 of the Constitution. She looked forward to working with Mr Naidu as Opposition nominee on the Commission. Ro Teimumu said she had submitted Mr. Naidu’s name to the Solicitor General in January and was awaiting confirmation of his appointment by the President. The Opposition Leader said she has had to follow up with the Solicitor General for a response. She called on Government to quickly confirm its nominees so that the Commission can start work. Mr. Naidu is one of Fiji’s most respected legal practitioners and is well known here and abroad as a fearless advocate for justice and the rule of law. He has himself been a victim of abuse at the hands of those who overthrew a legal government. Ro Teimumu said during this time of transition from dictatorship to democracy, it was crucial for key positions such as those on the Constitutional Offices Commission to be occupied by citizens who are patriotic defenders of democracy. This would help ensure that the Government of the day is held to account for its decisions on the high public appointments that the Commission is mandated to make. THE METHODIST MISSION AND FIJI'S INDIANS: 1879 - 1920 |
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