Minister for Policing Iowane Naivalurua has strongly dismissed claims that Fiji has lost the fight against illicit drugs, warning stakeholders not to be distracted by pessimism and what he described as “armchair strategies”.
Speaking during the National Talanoa Session on Responding to Illicit Drugs in Fiji, Mr Naivalurua urged participants to remain focused on the work ahead.
“Let’s not be distracted. Let us not be distracted by the distractors out there,” he said.
“There’s a lot of pessimists out there. I don’t belong to that group, and I hope you don’t belong to that group too.”
He criticised commentary suggesting Fiji had already lost the drug war, describing such views as detached from realities on the ground.
“There are armchair strategies around,” Mr Naivalurua said.
“I saw one yesterday titled ‘Fiji has lost the drug war’. If you believe that, then you shouldn’t be here today.”
The minister acknowledged that Fiji has faced challenges but said these did not amount to defeat.
“Yes, we may have lost a few small battles here and there,” he said.
“But we now have a new momentum. We are focusing on a new direction. Fiji has not lost the drug war.”
Mr Naivalurua rejected comparisons with major drug-producing and trafficking nations.
“Let me make it plainly clear today — we are not Mexico, we are not Colombia, nor any of the small islands in the Caribbean that some articles refer to,” he said.
He cautioned against allowing negative commentary to sap the energy of those working to combat drugs.
“We cannot afford to let these kinds of commentaries chew up your energy,” he said. “Our focus must remain on action, unity and results.”
The talanoa session brought together government agencies, community leaders and partners to strengthen coordination and sustain national momentum against the growing threat of illicit drugs.
