Passion drives Kurusiga
Api Kurusiga, who featured in yesterday’s People column, had a wonderful story to share with the readers of our best-selling newspaper. According to Api, she is living off the fruits of her labour that she and her late husband sowed in 2009. Hence, this shows that success does not come overnight, and that it takes hard work, commitment, passion, determination, patience and dedication to achieve success. Api Kurusiga, who runs Lapita Marketing Enterprises, shared with The Fiji Times reporter Jale how she achieved success, and the obstacles that she went through to achieve the fruits that she was reaping. Her passion has also led her to become a business coach where she is able to mentor people looking to start off their business or need advice on how to improve their business. I commend Api for this extra initiative, and I thank her for sharing her journey of success. It’s set to motivate and inspire our readers! Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu
Unrealistic approach
Focusing on the age of a vehicle to be the determining factor, as to whether a vehicle should or should not be on the road is an unrealistic and illogical approach. It actually discriminates against those who maintain their “aged and vintage” vehicles well and to the highest of standards, much better than the upkeep of the newer vehicles. There may even be some types and models of vehicles that are stronger, more sturdier and with better roadworthiness, than other makes –– who knows? The logical determining factor in my humble view, should be the state and condition of a vehicle, regardless of age and its roadworthiness and whether it is able to meet the necessary road safety requirements in our laws. It should in no way be the vehicle’s age. One could even use the same determining principle in the case of the official retirement age of a worker, but that’s another story. Let’s not disturb that beehive! Edward Blakelock Admiral Circle, Pacific Harbour
Decaying humanity
The recent bloody brawl over the holy Easter weekend at a housing subdivision clearly illustrates the escalating rate at which humanity is being strangled. Not only such incidences bring about pain and suffering among victims, it also portrays a very gloomy picture of how we are slowly moving away from the essence of being humans. Science proves humans to be the most intelligent beings but many of our actions speak otherwise. The occurrence of such types of brawls and other social ills cast a very dark shadow to our future. More than ever it is time for all individuals and organisations to educate and empower children to be cultured. There is a need for a sense of compassion and comradeship among people. We must love and respect people’s “space”; be it personal, social or religious. All this reminds me of a short story titled The Waste Land that I read during my secondary education with its famous line; “People, arise! The world is dead”–– (Alan Paton). VISHNU D SHARMA Nakasi
Out of roads
If 20 years and over vehicles will be out of roads, just wondering if relevant authorities will compensate the abovementioned vehicle owners? What will happen to our “old school and antique” vehicles? What plan or preventative measures will relevant authorities take in regards to vehicles which are below 20 years of manufacture and are seen emitting black exhaust and oil leaks? Shamal Chand Kuku Bau Rd, Nausori
General election
I suggest that before political parties are allowed to contest the general election in 2022, every year’s audited financial records should be available on their website, especially the donor list. Mohammed Imraz Janif Natabua, Lautoka
Potholes, graders
What happened to all the graders that were once owned by the PWD? Those graders were very helpful and with our present conditions of roads, those graders will be able to cover most potholes in no time. Ovalau needs one grader too, just like the rest of the districts in Fiji. FRA can you locate those graders please? Narayan Reddy Ovalau Barbaric act Water is the essence of life. Access to clean drinking water is a fundamental human need and a basic human right. WAF needs to show refrain on meter disconnections and first negotiate payment plans with each customer based on their ability to pay and their specific circumstances. Stop with that barbaric act. Wise Muavono Balawa, Lautoka
Metformin statement
Bharat Morris’ letter regarding the NFP leader’s response on the Health Minister, to apologise or resign, is mindboggling. Does Mr Morris know how many people use metformin in Fiji on a daily basis and why they need metformin as compared with other drugs as mentioned by the Minister for Health? Mr Morris do you know how many people are suffering from diabetes, heart condition who need regular dose of metformin? I am not talking about Panadol or asprin. I believe what the Minister for Health uttered in Parliament regarding metformin is a shame because he is a medical doctor and was superintendent at CWM Hospital before he became a minister. Mr Bharat should perhaps take a lesson on the doctrine of ministerial responsibility. I believe if the same would have been said in Australia or New Zealand, there would have been a massive protest inside the House and outside. As for Simon Hazelman’s suggestion that simply acknowledging that there is a problem somehow makes the problem go away, it is absurd to even suggest that everything will be fine as long as the minister says so. Ministers cannot act with impunity and shy away from being responsible for their departments — especially one as important as the Health Ministry. Apenisa Vatuniveivuke Suva
Post-cyclone recovery work
I refer to the Australian High Commissioner John Feakes’ commendation of the Government’s recovery efforts in the North — post cyclones Yasa and Ana (FT April 6). Mr Feakes says he had recently travelled to Labasa and has seen the recovery efforts. He says he wants to “congratulate the government for the immense amount of work that has been sustained over recent months and the recovery efforts are visible for all to see”. Regrettably, I cannot share his views in so far as the cane belt areas of the North are concerned. I have been to Vanua Levu thrice after the cyclones and have seen very little post-cyclone recovery work carried out there. I believe the rural community, be they canegrowers or subsistence farmers, have not received any assistance from the government to carry out repairs to their damaged homes or rehabilitate their cyclone-ravaged crops. They have been left to fend for themselves. The rural roads badly damaged by the cyclones, remain unattended in many affected areas. Likewise, no work has so far been done to repair the damaged railway lines connecting the Labasa mill to farms in the Daku and Wainikoro sectors. With cane harvesting to begin soon, the hundreds of farmers in these sectors are seriously concerned about their livelihood. Mr Feakes acknowledged the resilience of our people in the affected areas to bounce back from the “terrifying cyclones” but let me add that being resilient does not mean that they don’t experience stress, emotional upheaval or suffering. The people I am concerned about are the small farmers who do not have the financial means to sustain the extensive damage caused to their homes and crops by the two super cyclones within weeks of each other. I believe they deserve to be assisted but it seems have now been abandoned by a government which is looking the other way. Mahendra P Chaudhry General Secretary National Farmers Union, Suva
LTA query
IN response to a query from the Public Accounts Committee, the CEO of LTA had attributed the late submission of the annual reports to the lack of senior leadership in the organisation. If that is so then I wonder how LTA was functioning and what was the board doing? Isn’t that part of its overseeing role to ensure the reports are published and presented on a timely basis? SELWA NANDAN Lautoka
Road condition
The road condition along Waimari Rd here in Rakiraki is in a very poor state that sometimes even bus companies refuse to send their buses. I cannot find proper words to explain how bad it is but travelling on this road is more like a ship travelling in very rough seas. And I will maintain my stand that PWD days and work was much better than what we have seen with FRA. The condition of our roads tells it all. Pita Soroaqali Rakiraki
Wrong statement
It is not fair to suggest the Minister for Health should resign for the wrong statement he made regarding metformin for diabetes patients. But he should be mindful of what he is saying regarding medicines and hospitals, especially coming from a doctor. He is happy to be corrected without apologising! What does that mean? Kirti Patel Lautoka
State sovereignty
Fiji’s stand on state sovereignty is loud and clear. Let us accept others too. Emosi Balei Suva
Climate summit
Biden has not invited Fiji to be part of the climate summit event. I guess the USA has the worst impact of climate change. Jaheed Buksh Korolevu, Sigatoka
Kangaroo court
In the so-called social media Kangaroo court, why do people bother to defend themselves continuously and vigorously? As if there are judges and magistrates presiding over all this and that to eventually deliver a guilty or not guilty verdict. Mohammed Imraz Janif Natabua, Lautoka
Divine intervention
I believe maybe it’s time to start praying for divine intervention for the improvement of our roads since the concerned authority has failed its citizens. Wise Muavono Balawa, Lautoka
