The recent comments in today’s Fiji Times by Military appointed Director of Immigration, Viliame Naupotu, warranted a severe response. For the full article please click on the following link. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=66968
He stated that soldiers should be accomodated in the nation building process instead of being unleashed like watchdogs if the coup culture was to be reversed. While also making reference to the perceived benefits of the training that Officers received at some of the best institutions in the world, he pointed to the performance of numerous Military Officers in civilian positions.
Brushing aside any suggestion that the current practice of militarisation of key government positions as semantics, he hinted at what could happen with this parting shot. “Military people are useful and it is my answer to killing the coup culture. If you keep using the military as a watchdog the chain might break and bite people.”
It is without question that some of our Military Officers have received training at Military Academies such as Sandhurst and a host of other institutions of the same standing. It is also a recognised fact that some of these Officers performed exceptionally well while training overseas. However at the end of the day none of this can be used to excuse the blatant nepotism of military officers taking up top civil service positions. Especially if it is riding on the crest of the illegal overthrow of a democratically elected government.
There are four reasons for this current practice being inexcusable. The first has been alluded to above, namely these officers would not even be considered if they hadn’t added another debilitating coup to Fiji’s history. At the end of the day all of the coups we have had to painfully endure have had one common factor, a military force that assumes it knows best what type of government the country needs.
The second reason is the training that Naupotu refers to is limited at best when applied to Civilian matters. With all due respect to the qualifications attained by Naivalurua and others, how that training can be applied to running a commerical entity has yet to be proved. As for the bandmaster being posted to the Ministry of Agriculture, that stint saw him as being nothing more than a watchdog for Jainendra Kumar. It’s anyones guess what role the bandmaster extraordinaire will play in China, perhaps he’ll liaise with the Chinese Military Marching Band and teach them how to play Julu Jululu……
Thirdly these military appointments have come at the expense and sacrifice of the careers of highly qualified and capable civil servants. The debate over whether Teleni is ill suited to handle the responibilities of the Fiji Police Commissioner’s duties is a foregone conclusion. Andrew Hughes much vaunted efforts over the last three years at bringing in a sense of pride and decorum in the Fiji Police Force has been brought to waste.
All the training undergone by Foreign Affairs staff in learning Chinese will come to nought as they have now been relegated to practicing their Chinese while ordering food at Capitol Palace in Suva. Leweni meawhile will still be sitting in Beijing trying to decide what to eat off the menu, unfortunately it’ll be a case of “AAAH…..AAAH…..AAAHH……forget it …….AAAh…….we go McDonalds…….AAH they got pictures on the menu.”
Lastly whatever training the Military Officers may have undergone, executing a coup in support of an illegally appointed regime is unethical and anathemic to the esprit de corps and Christian values they should be upholding. This junta is responsible for the deaths of three innocent civilians and countless civil liberties infractions through torture, detainment, travelbans, suspensions and terminations.
If these Officers had any sense of honour and fidelity to the country and flag they claim to represent they would’ve resigned their commission, or overthrown their lunatic of Commander before embarking on this sorry mess the country is now embroiled in.
Ha! Ha! Ha! Good one re- Leweni’s picture menu!
No use Naupoto boasting about Sandhurst graduates and the like. Most of those have already been sidelined by Frank already anyway. Even before Frank’s purge, the Sandhurst/Duntroon graduates always had to play 2nd fiddle to officers with “Ratu” in front of their name, anyway.
But even if some military officers seconded to the civil service are gifted and astute enough to make a good fist of the job, what difference does that make? Frank can just order them to make dumb decisions any time he doesn’t understand what’s going on (ie 90% of the time), so all their education is useless because Frank’s limited intelligence and perception is the bottom line there. Even then, how could even brilliant people trained in a completely distinct field, be so much better than career civil servants who have received specialized trained in their own fields, sometimes for years!
Moreover, the fact that none of those officers has had enough integrity or honour to resign from the military after Frank’s treasonous and criminal acts, shows that they don’t have the character or judgment to be fit to lead anything except Al Qaeda or the Mafia.
These guys greatly over-rate themselves – how could anyone take such puny intellects as Frank’s, Leweni’s, Teleni’s, Driti’s, Ului’s seriously? If this regime does somehow manage to survive a year or even two, they will see for themselves what the rest of us know already – that their lightweight skills, abilities and plans to “move Fiji forward” aren’t gonna make one lick of difference to Fiji’s coup culture or our political differences!
Comment by Jean d’Ark — July 23, 2007 @ 10:22 am |
Lets just close down USP. Stop all FAB scholarships abroad and send everyone to military school.
Perhaps in a few years time, Fiji will be able to evolve into a completely looney society where the qualification of incoming diplomats rests on his/her promise not to take a better seat than the PM at a rugby match…
… a looney society where Allegation + No Evidence = Widespread Corruption,
… a looney society where the Director of Human Rights Commissioner in Fiji is more concerned about enforcing the human rights of the Aborigines in Australia than addressing human rights violations here in Fiji,
… looney society where daffy duck would be sidelined for appointment as High Commissioner to Malaysia in favour of Col Pita ‘torture themm all” Driti,
…oh bugger I forgot – we’re already there!
Comment by hydenceek — July 25, 2007 @ 3:57 am |
Hi guys,sorry but I had posted something on this same article too, glad though it covered areas that weren’t touched by you
i didn’t have that “picture menu” thing, de centerfold.
Well anyways, more reading for the public what say.
Comment by bainivore — July 25, 2007 @ 6:33 am |
Excellent points HnC!
If Naupoto’s interview sounded hollow after the first read, it sounds positively deflated now you\’ve debunked it!
Anyway, all this rubbish will be shown up for what it is by the passage of time!
Amandla!
Comment by Jean d’Ark — July 25, 2007 @ 7:40 am |