"Rabuka had appointed Visanti Makrava in December 1987, at the point of a gun. Makrava entered the NBF headquarters in Suva with a group of soldiers saying he had been appointed by the Brigadier, as Rabuka was then. At the time Makrava was manager of the NBF's Samabula branch where the army did its banking...The other link Rabuka had with the bank was through his friend and former army commander, Paul Manueli, who had become NBF chairman in January 1988. He was to stay in that position until June 1992 when he left to become Rabuka's Minister of Finance...Makrava certainly did Rabuka no favours when he was reported to have said, "If I open my mouth, half the Government goes, including the leader."
I-Taukei Poverty revealed in the latest Bureau of Statistics Household Report 2019-2020 can be linked to Rabuka's affirmative action policies from 1987-1999 (when he lost election) that made commoner i-Taukei poor while the chiefs and i-taukei elites fleeced the NBF of over $250million. Where has all the lease monies gone and the profits from Provincial Council owned properties like Kadavu House, Marela House, Ganilau House, Tailevu House, Suvavou House, Ro Lalabalavu House etc. We forget that unlike Indo-Fijian and other non I-Taukei Fijians, the i-taukei Fijians, through their Provincial Councils and Fijian Holdings Ltd, are collectively sitting on millions of dollars of properties |  Kadavu House |
But profits from rent monies have never filtered down to grassroot i-Taukei Fijians in whose name these houses are owned.
For CULTURE, CHIEFS and CHRISTIANITY demand:
Just SHUT UP and SUFFER POVERTY and blame KaiIndias: Indo-Fijians
As far back as 2011, the World Bank was reminding us of i-Taukei Poverty
People’s Alliance Party Leader Sitiveni Rabuka says the sacked CEO of the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, Kemueli Naiqama is a well-qualified professional whose only fault was doing his job.
In a statement, Rabuka says his dismissal was deplorable, unmerited and deserves their harshest condemnation. Rabuka further says in recent weeks, there has been a steady stream of top academics and scholars that have come out in support of the findings of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey report and the report has been scrutinized by experts.
Rabuka also says a government that respected professionals and was in touch with what was happening in Fiji would have noted the report and explained why it has failed in the last 16 years and what it might do to fix the problem. The former Prime Minister also says instead the government has decided to waste valuable time and resources at taxpayer’s expense with the unfounded notion that the report was flawed.
He further adds only a government that is arrogant and having no idea about the suffering in the country, even before COVID-19, would resort to these tactics.
In a statement, Rabuka says his dismissal was deplorable, unmerited and deserves their harshest condemnation. Rabuka further says in recent weeks, there has been a steady stream of top academics and scholars that have come out in support of the findings of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey report and the report has been scrutinized by experts.
Rabuka also says a government that respected professionals and was in touch with what was happening in Fiji would have noted the report and explained why it has failed in the last 16 years and what it might do to fix the problem. The former Prime Minister also says instead the government has decided to waste valuable time and resources at taxpayer’s expense with the unfounded notion that the report was flawed.
He further adds only a government that is arrogant and having no idea about the suffering in the country, even before COVID-19, would resort to these tactics.
