‘I Have Unfinished Business’
“We have been waiting for a very long time, even though I am no longer the Minister for Police, I know the urgency is there,” Mr Tikoduadua said.
Sunday 15 December 2024 | 10:35
Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Pio Tikoduadua, says he has a lot of unfinished business in the Police portfolio and would wait for the investigations to complete in the issue he has been implicated in.
Minister Tikoduadua stepped aside from his Immigration and Police ministerial responsibilities amid investigations into the improper issuance of passports to children of foreign nationals associated with the Grace Road human rights allegations.
As a result, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has temporarily assumed control of these portfolios.
Related stories
New Commissioner of Police
Mr Tikoduadua, who was instrumental in the Fiji Police Force reset programme, said he only hoped that a new Commissioner of Police would be appointed soon.
“We have been waiting for a very long time, even though I am no longer the Minister for Police, I know the urgency is there,” Mr Tikoduadua said.
“So many things to pick up. We have renewed an MOU in the Vuvale Partnership. Fiji and Australia have gone a step further, not only under the Pacific policing initiative; we have gone bilateral with Australia in a big way.
“This has to be dependent on the appointment of the Commissioner and the amended MOU that is going into Cabinet soon. That will set the success of the platform for Police.”
He said there was a consultant specifically dedicated to the new Commissioner of Police, who would serve as a mentor for the commissioner in Fiji.
“There are four others; three from Australia and one from New Zealand, waiting to be appointed. These are the people we’ll insert into the force. They will help reset the standards.
‘Restore Blue’
“We started with the ‘Restore Blue’, we got the strategies and we have asked the Australia and New Zealand counterparts to assist us.
“We have handed that over to the Prime Minister and Minister for Police to enable it to fully function.
“I have a lot of unfinished business. Right now, it’s on the discretion of the Prime Minister and until the investigation is completed.
“I know he said there will be a reshuffle, whatever it is, we will take our cue.”
Feedback: inoke.rabonu@fijisun.com.fj
