The Minister for Immigration, National Security and Defence, Timoci Natuva, says he has resigned to spend more time with his family.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said in a statement last night that Mr Natuva resigned for “personal reasons.”

He said he would assume Mr Natuva’s ministerial duties, until a permanent replacement was appointed.

Mr Natuva said he had made his contribution to the Government and the people and it was time to spend quality time with his family.

He said he had been thinking of resigning from last year.

He said it was time for him to move to make way for a replacement.

Mr Natuva said in his military life he spent most of his time overseas.

His body language in recent months had indicated that he had lost his usual enthusiasm and interest.  His blunt response to the RFNS Kiro running aground on Cakauyawa Reef near Nukulau Island was a tell-tale sign.

He was also put in a precarious position when he was required to give evidence in the abuse of office trial of Sainiana Radrodro had, a former employee in the Ministry of Works when he was Works Minister.

He said he had cleared his desks for his replacement to come  in.

As Minister for Works, Mr Natuva said he had helped in the electrification in many rural areas including Naitasiri.

He had also helped bring water to remote rural areas and also the maritime zone.

The FijiFirst Government, he said, had delivered to the people and was glad to be part of the team.

For his future, he said he would be working on his farm.

“I have a 250 acre land to develop and I just love working on my farm.”

He said since he was appointed minister, he had been traveling daily from his farm in Naitasiri.

Mr Natuva thanked Mr Bainimarama for the support he had given him as minister and said he would always support his strong leadership.

He said he would be available for the FijiFirst Party to help in the next general elections.

Mr Natuva’s time overseas:

Between 1989–90, he was Company Commander of 2FIR in Sinai. He was appointed Chief Operations Officer Civil Military Affairs at the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) in Dili, East Timor and Darwin, Australia, and between 1992–93, he was appointed Military Advisor to the UN Secretary General in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In 2001, he assumed the position of Chief-of-Staff of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

In 2007 he was appointed to be Contingent Commander of the First Battalion Fiji Infantry Regiment, Fiji Guard Unit for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).

He attended various institutions including Royal Australian Naval College, Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies at Honolulu, Naval and the Post Graduate School at Monterey California. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Defence College of Strategic Studies at Canberra, Australia.

Edited by Nemani Delaibatiki

Feedback:  maikab@fijisun.com.fj