PM’s gift
Anthony Sahai, Ovalau
Just one simple, humble request to our most Honourable PM, Voreqe Bainimarama.
Sir, can I have the rugby ball that was gifted to you by the NZ PM, John Key?
You know the one that was signed by the World Champion Mighty All Blacks?
Areh, loloma mada man, kerekere.
I bet you can’t?
Opposition parties
Viliame Gavoka, Nadroga
Messers Tukai Lagonilakeba and Simon Hazelman are obviously talking to people who believe the ruling party is the only party worth having.
On our part we are talking to people who regretted having voted for the ruling party.
It is therefore premature to be making any prophecy as the situation is quite fluid. Perhaps we wait closer to the elections as then people will start making serious decisions.
What we believe very strongly, however, is that the segment of the population (40 per cent), who didn’t vote for the ruling party will not vote for them come what may.
If the ruling party could not get their votes after eight years of unopposed rule, they are not getting their votes after four years of scrutiny in parliament.
As for the Marama, her supporters are telling her that they will vote for whoever she recommends to them, so really, whether she is there or not, she will still earn votes for SODELPA.
As to the empty seats Mr Lagonilakeba sees on our side of the House, the NZ visitors who visited of late, had quipped that if the standards applied to the Honourable Tui Cakau and Honourable Draunidalo were observed in NZ, Parliament there would be very empty in no time.
Isa Muh’d Ali
Dhrendra Prasad, Lautoka
You may have been the greatest and the most furious and feared in the ring, but have been the best known human being with such background.
You have left a legacy with a very large vacuum which is a real challenge to be filled by anyone else.
Seeing his memorial service on BBC I was really touched by what this boxer was made of. I have known many boxers, but no one dared to be a human like him.
The name Muhammad Ali signifies a legacy and a character to be desired to be.
A well-balanced aggressor at the extreme and a human is something unimaginable in a person. But Ali proved that being human and enlightener is what made Ali the Ali of the world.
To our boxers, boxing is not to demean the not so strong but to use the strength for the betterment of humanity. Fight and be furious in the ring but in the ring of life, be a human for the humankind.
Demolish your opponents fairly but praise them for being your opponents for without them you won’t be the champion anyway.
Dance like a butterfly and sting like a bee.
RIP Ali. Your commitment and dedication is a source f inspiration for all.
Weather forecast
Satish Nakched, Suva
It is not very informational for the TV and the radio stations when reading out the weather forecast after the main news item to just mention that there will be cool nights when forecasting the night temperature.
Different people have different perception of the word cool nights.
This has been ongoing since the early days of the radio when due to the infant stage of the technology it was extremely difficult to predict the night temperature and as a generic explanation based on the previous night’s condition it was left it as cool nights.
Weather prediction is now very accurate and there are so many sources available to extract the information.
I believe the media personnel needs to improve their reporting skills through research so the wider public can be informed of the forecasted condition in degrees with more accuracy.
Sugar industry reform
Saimoni Lutu, Namosi
We the people of Fiji, the 800,000 plus of us are the true blue owners of the 30,239,160 shares held in stewardship by the Government.
We the people now demand that these shares be returned to us as individuals so that at 500 shares per person, there will be 60,478 Fijians will now own shares in the Fiji Sugar Corporation Ltd instead of the 2060 Fijian elites who now monopolise the share register.
Same story with ATH. Here 145,932,209 shares are similarly held in stewardship by the Government for us the people.
We demand these shares back similarly distributed to us individually. At 500 shares per Fijian person translates to 291,864 new Fijians will be brought to ownership of the wealth of this nation.
So with only two companies, FSC and ATH, a total of 352,342 Fijians for the first time in our history and comprising almost 50 per cent of our population will have access to the wealth of this nation.
When Fiji Airways, FEA, AFL, FPCL, Fiji Pine Ltd and so on and so on are returned to the rightful owners, we the people, the whole Fijian population – women, men and children will own at least 500 shares in the companies of this country.
In such scenario 100 per cent of our population will own and control 100 per cent of the wealth of this nation. We the people are speaking.
Workers pledge
Lawrence Narayan, Suva
Over the years there has always been a tendency for certain workers to deceive their employers through fraudulent activities.
However, in recent months these numbers have grown to a large proportion, so much so that in many cases groups of workers in larger institutions plan and defraud their employers who actually feed them and their families.
These workers probably think they will never be caught but the Bible says, “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open” (Luke 8:17). True to the Word, their names and photos are displayed publicly through local newspapers and they also lose their jobs.
So it would not be wrong to say that this is becoming a major concern both for employers as well as many families who suffer silently from these types of dishonest activities. I am even more surprised that church going workers are into this kind of activity when they are supposed to be faithful and leading others by example.
So to my Christian brothers and sisters if you really care about your masters (employers) and your own families then I urge you to work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians 3:23). You must strive for excellence in whatever your hand finds to do, do it with honesty and all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
Fiji football
Arien Vikash Kumar, Nadi
Next week is Fiji FACT, it will come and go like any other tournament.
As usual soccer loving fans will march in the stadium for their district support foregoing some of their basic needs and wants just for soccer.
While their smile on the face is always determined by the overall performance of their team or the outcome of each game, one that always keeps on smiling after any tournament no matter who wins or lose is “FFA”.
Despite having biggest smile (always), they (FFA) fail to deliver to even those who are the reasons behind their smiles. Thus Fiji soccer standards are going down day by day, tournament by tournament and year by year.
Where we were decades ago and where we are today is really shocking as we are going backwards in standard delivery.
FFA will soon be running tournaments with empty stadiums and without sponsors if we continue to produce such results, which is alarming.
If the power expectancy for our Government is up to four years to produce and deliver than why some of the FFA officials remain in power for years and years without bringing any constructive change.
Simply it’s time for them to give chance to others and see.
Government intervention at this stage is very much needed otherwise replace all “soccer balls” with “rugby balls” in schools, clubs and districts. Seriously, interest from soccer is diverting to rugby pretty fast for many soccer fans.
Kings of Judea
Amenatave Yaconisau, Suva
It’s amazing how young the Kings of Judah in the bible.
The youngest was Joash who was only seven years old 2 Chronicle 24(1) Manasseh was merely 12 years old; 2 Chronicle 33(1) and Uzziah was 16 years old when he became King; 2 Chronicle 26(3).
The oldest was probably King Jehosophat who was 35 years old; 2 Chronicle 20(31).
The wisdom to consult older people was always there but Kings (Leaders) tend to prefer young advice 2 Chronicle 10(6-18).
For the young Kings of Judah, it was gods promise to David and Solomon that their ancestors will always rule; 2 Chronicle 7(17-22). But it had conditions including doing his laws and not to worship other gods. A good lesson for traditional leaders!
SODELPA president
Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa, Canada
Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, the SODELPA president is my kind of leader in recognising the happy faces of his people and spoke highly of the PM’s development programmes (FS 11/6).
I pray that other SODELPA voters including MP’s would do the same every once in a while, instead of ignoring the plain truth but quickly fires the gun when the Government allegedly does something wrong.
The praise kind of raises the bar of the FijiFirst development programmes and service delivery to the people of Fiji at a high level, which means SODELPA will have to come up with something really good in the 2018 General Election to swing the majority the other way.
The Opposition MP’s keep complaining that every issue they present in Parliament keeps getting knocked out because the Government side has a clear majority.
Praise the PM and AG, the Ministers and even the Speaker every once in a while for all the work they are doing to lift and add value to the lives of Fijians and a breakthrough will happen.
Some call it “You scratch my back and I will scratch yours.”