The deportation of a high profile academic, an outbreak of leptospirosis resulting in 10 deaths, water cuts, and house fires, dominated the news in the month of February.
While the country was dealt a severe economic blow in the form of two tropical cyclones late in 2020 and in January 2021, one of the most distressing news of the month took place in the first week when University of the South Pacific vice-chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia and his wife, Sandra Price, were deported to Australia.
The move stirred a lot of interest and condemnation on social media from a wide cross section of the community.
Aside from the 20 house fires and three deaths in the first two months of the year, Fiji also recorded 160 cases of leptospirosis, 53 cases of typhoid and 335 of dengue fever during that period.
And as far as the ongoing water disruptions in the Suva-Nausori corridor, including the Rewa Delta were concerned, National Federation Party president Pio Tikoduadua to call for Infrastructure Minister Jone Usamate to resign because he had assured Parliament on September 1, 2020 that interruptions in water supply because of equipment failure would not happen again.
FEBRUARY 1 THE non–governmental organisation (NGO) Coalition on Human Rights is concerned with the State’s usage of powers to enforce nationwide curfews without proper process and consultations.
FEBRUARY 2 TROPICAL Cyclone Ana disrupts power supply on all four major islands and Energy Fiji Ltd CEO Hasmukh Patel says damage assessment was still being conducted.
FEBRUARY 3 MYSTERY surrounds the death of real estate developer and businessman Sesha Reddy and his wife Mirdu Chandra whose bodies were discovered in their home at Lawai, Sigatoka by their caretaker.
FEBRUARY 4 SAVUSAVU man Nacanieli Ramatau claims his wife Adalyn died because there were no medical staff to attend to her when she arrived at the hospital.
FEBRUARY 5 SPEAKING to The Fiji Times from Brisbane, USP vice-chancellor Prof Pal Ahluwalia says he is still the VC, after being deported along with his wife Sandra Price from Fiji.
FEBRUARY 8 THE Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre says the impact of COVID-19 has resulted in some women being forced into prostitution for as low as $1.50 – with five cases from women in the West being forced into sex work by husbands who had lost their jobs in the tourism industry.
FEBRUARY 9 OPPOSITION MPs walk out of Parliament after two motions by SODELPA leader Viliame Gavoka and National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad relating to the deportation of former USP vicechancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia were rejected by the Speaker.
FEBRUARY 10 ATTORNEY-GENERAL Aiyaz Sayed- Khaiyum says Fiji’s debt level is projected to hit $8.3 billion by the end of July this year.
FEBRUARY 11 THE World Bank announces the provision of a $US50 million ($F102 million) credit facility to Fiji to support Fiji’s recovery from the impacts of COVID-19 and severe tropical cyclones Harold and Yasa.
FEBRUARY 12 TRIALS in Fiji’s High Courts will no longer have assessors after a Bill to amend the Criminal Procedure Act 2009 was passed by Parliament yesterday, despite calls for public consultation on the changes.
FEBRUARY 13 DR Amrish Krishnan, Fiji’s only registered nephrologist took to Twitter to support “most” of what Opposition MP Lenora Qereqeretabua said in Parliament regarding the suffering and struggles of kidney patients and their families and said his expertise in the field was not the result of a government scholarship – as claimed by Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete.
FEBRUARY 14 HEALTH Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong says there is an outbreak of leptospirosis in the country after recording 160 confirmed cases of leptospirosis and five deaths, 53 of typhoid and 335 of dengue fever from January 1 to February 6 this year.
FEBRUARY 18 A HOUSE fi re in Nadele, Sabeto, Nadi kills three people – a five-month-old baby, Bhagwan Dean, 92, and Aqliman Bibi, 87.
FEBRUARY 20 USP chancellor Lionel Aingimea says Fiji withheld its grant contribution of $27.7 million to USP but it continues to function because vice-chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia took measures to ensure its financial stability.
FEBRUARY 21 HOUSING Minister Premila Kumar says 334 applicants have benefited from the ministry’s First Home and First Land Grant initiative, receiving a total payout in excess of $5 million during the 2020-2021 financial year.
FEBRUARY 22 A TOTAL of 67,679 marijuana plants with a street value of $113,668,216 were uprooted on Kadavu last year, says the Fiji Police Force.
FEBRUARY 23 THE youngest person found in possession of marijuana in Fiji was a sevenyear- old child. And the youngest methamphetamine user arrested by police was 15 years old, says Fiji Police Force Drugs Unit officer in charge Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Anare Masitabua.
FEBRUARY 24 ADDRESSING poverty will be a major focus for newly-elected Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma president the Reverend Ili Vunisuwai after being elected via a secret ballot at the Centenary Methodist Church in Suva.
FEBRUARY 25 FIJI recorded 10 suspected leptospirosis deaths, says Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete.
FEBRUARY 26 THE use of state resources should be prohibited during campaigns, says Electoral Commission chairman Suresh Chandra in a submission to the parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law, and Human Rights on the Electoral Amendment Bill 2021.
FEBRUARY 27 GOVERNMENT’S expenditure for the year 2020-2021 increased by around $138.3 million which was higher than the COVID-Response Budget, says the Citizens Budget Guide for Fiji 2020-2021, a document developed by the Fiji Council of Social Services with the support of United Nations Development Programme and Pacific Islands Association of NGOs.
FEBRUARY 28 PRIME Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says the total cost of property damage due to fires stood around $13 million last year. He said it was more than $22.1m in 2019. He said a total of 20 house fires occurred in the first two months of 2021 and 16 house fires in the first two months of 2020.
