Nabua is home
A BIG thank you to the police for their support in our Nabua area over Easter.
We live just up the road from Mead Rd housing and Sukanaivalu Rd.
I’m glad the man who started this round, actually gave himself up to police and another who was wanted in regards to this incident, was arrested too.
This gives the community some hope for the future and a way forward despite what’s going on currently.
It does not have to stay like this.
We hope and trust that the police and our community can have the courage to come forward with any information that underlies festering wounds and vendettas in Nabua.
It needs to end.
Everyone needs safety and peace to live in.
We all want this here in Nabua.
And most of all, we want hope for our youths too, to have something more than nothing else to do with their energy, other than harbouring any kind of gangster mentality that is neither cool, nor heroic; but the opposite.
We don’t want any more harm here, or any deaths in the future.
Thank you to the police for helping control this.
And as a community, let’s help take responsibility and get behind making a way forward for all our youth, regardless of past transgressions and mistakes.
They need the community and Fiji to support them come out of hopelessness and reckless living.
JEAN HATCH, Nabua, Suva
Fijians who did not vote
OPPOSITION member of Parliament Ro Filipe Tuisawau stated there needs to be a proper analysis to ascertain why 178,998 Fijians did not vote during the 2018 General Election (FT 05/04).
Ro Filipe said the number was significant and he could find no explanation as to why people did not turn up on election day.
I have a fair idea why, Ro Filipe.
They just don’t care and are not bothered because any change to government doesn’t make any difference to their struggles or adversity.
In fact, the thought is why waste their time and effort if there is no significant change to their livelihood?
On the other hand, I believe the only time we get to see politicians vying for a seat in Parliament is leading up to elections.
Once in, they are very quick to forget the people who put them there!
So in retrospect many are really just not bothered!
SIMON HAZELMAN, Rava Estate, Savusavu
Anger and violence
EVEN in “peaceful Fiji”, sadly we have our fair share of the chaotic world.
The outpouring of unprecedented anger and violence that spilled out on to Mead Rd, Nabua, Suva is very troubling.
Our very own “top brains-trusts” must pool their skills to get to the real root causes of the anger which ensued.
This is not the way Fiji should be, in any language.
It is evident our iTaukei youths in the area concerned, are inexcusably restless.
Why?
The problem must be thoroughly, professionally and tactfully addressed.
It cannot, and must not be allowed to fester.
Our hardworking Fiji police alone will not have solutions to this sad and shameful sequence of events.
Respectfully with urgent concern.
RONNIE CHANG, Martintar, Nadi
A passion to write
DR Sakul Kundra is a renowned writer.
He writes wonderful articles in The Fiji Times.
His articles have been based on socio-economic issues, climate change and other day-to-day issues that affect normal Fijians.
I never miss reading his articles because they are full of information.
Hence, I was pleased when our writer featured in yesterday’s The Fiji Times sharing his experiences.
He was pictured alongside Kirit Patel, who is the CEO of Motibhai Group of Companies.
It was pleasing to read that in a span of four years, Dr Kundra has contributed 102 opinion pieces in various newspapers in the Pacific Islands including Cook Island News, Island Times and Vanuatu Business Times.
This is a huge achievement for Dr Kundra.
I thank him for his writings, and for being a wonderful role model to other writers.
Good on you Dr Kundra!
Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam, Nadawa, nasinu
Cancer bill
IT’S alarming to read that the Fiji Cancer Society spends between $200,000 and $300,000 annually on cancer patients.
According to the Fiji Cancer Society chairman and president, Makrava Wilson, the money was spent on assisting with transportation for clinics and treatment and medication.
The society also revealed that it was looking after more than 730 cases — such a huge task indeed. I read via The Fiji Times that the society helped reduce the backlog in surgeries by gifting $10,000 to pay for doctors and nurses to perform cancer-related operations on Saturdays.
God bless!
RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM, Nadawa, Nasinu
Vehicle age limit
FIJI Roads Authority and Land Transport Authority, is there an age limit for a vehicle to be on Fiji roads?
I believe the main reason for traffic every morning and afternoon is because there are about 20 new vehicles certified by LTA on a daily basis to be on the road, but no vehicles are taken out of the road.
I believe some vehicles on our roads are very old, smokey, especially the buses and taxis.
Can the relevant authorities look into this.
Vehicles more than 20 years old should be taken out of the road.
PRANEEL K SHARMA, Suva
Voter survey
AROUND September last year, a voter survey was conducted which included a question on why registered voters did not vote in the 2018 General Election.
As there were about 180,000 registered voters who did not turn up on polling day in 2018, have the responses to the question analysed and available on any platform?
MOHAMMED IMRAZ JANIF, Natabua, Lautoka
Poverty stats
THEY were talking in Parliament about how many people were poor in Fiji.
I believe someone said 40 per cent while another said 50 per cent.
I believe no one gave any solution on removing poverty.
For us to keep pouring billions in pot and lovo holes and lose that money in days or weeks, it would be better for us to have properly graded gravel roads and give that money to the poor.
By the way, could the relevant authority work out a fair freight charge for food items from Suva to Vanua Levu.
SUKHA SINGH, Labasa
Monitoring and surveillance
FISHERIES Minister Semi Koroilavesau’s statement that lockdowns have resulted in reduced capacity for effective monitoring, control and surveillance of fishing activities around the country is questionable (FT 05/04).
While COVID-19 may have affected work by fisheries officers to do their job properly, the monitoring, control, and surveillance I believe was always lacking over the past two-three decades.
The depletion of fish stocks and other seafood both inshore and in the open ocean is evident of this lack of control by our fisheries department.
I believe nets, night spear fishing, the use of duva (root poison), and diving tanks, are still in constant use.
The damage done to our inner reefs are a nightly affair causing enormous long term damage to our reef systems and fish stocks.
It’ll be interesting to know; l How many fisheries officers are employed by the department who actually go out on surveillance to monitor and control? l How many cases does each officer get to deal with each month? and l How many people get charged every month?
This will give us a good indication on how well or bad we are doing.
I believe what’s lacking most of all is the availability of resources to aid officers to do their job efficiently and effectively.
I have never seen or heard of fisheries officers patrolling our coastlines here in Savusavu at night when all these prohibited activities are taking place.
One can only imagine the huge scale of damage over all other parts of Fiji?
What we require now is an assessment of the effectiveness of monitoring, control, and surveillance of illegal fishing around the country, and to make the necessary changes, in order to save our fisheries.
SIMON HAZELMAN, Rava Estate, Savusavu
World Health Day
WORLD Health Day is celebrated on April 7 each year.
I believe it should be Our Health Day and most important, it should be celebrated every day.
It was first celebrated worldwide in the year 1950 as World Health Day.
It is an annual event celebrated for years to raise the common public awareness towards health issues and concerns.
Fijians are not behind when it comes to health conscious but NCDs are on the rise.
World Health Day targets all the health issues on a global scale and programs are organised yearly by the WHO and other related health organisations at various places such as schools, colleges and other places.
World Health Day celebration focuses on increasing the life expectancy by adding good health to the lives of people and promoting healthier living habits.
Youths of the new era are also targeted by this event to make the world healthy and free from AIDS and HIV.
Some of the objectives of why World Health Day is celebrated yearly are listed below: l To promote self care among people, depression free society; l To motivate and promote efforts in creating healthy environments in their community; l To increase public awareness on various causes and prevention of NCDs and; l To provide knowledge on various diseases and their complications. Remember “health is wealth”.
Eat locally grown vegetables and exercise regularly.
Vinaka
NEELZ SINGH, Lami
