Greetings readers as we all continue down this scary and dangerous path fighting the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.

It seems we may have almost missed the boat on a nationwide lockdown as the infection rates have exploded Fiji wide, while our leaders continue to sleep on the job for about three months as the pandemic rages and cases escalate.

To sum up Fiji’s record today, we have one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the world against women and children, and now one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections in the world per one million population.

Last week, the Prime Minister made a national address to convince the undecided to have the vaccination, and if there was ever a time to win the hearts of the people – and not bully and turn them against you – it was then.

About 10 or 20 years ago you could threaten, intimidate, suppress and shout at people, but that style of leadership has long gone and today’s leadership is about empathy, love, compassion, and working with people for a greater goal and winning the hearts of the people.

I believe in total forgiveness.

Therefore, I am only interested in moving our beloved nation forward. So today I had a suggestion, surprisingly it came from one of the big FijiFirst business donors from the Western Division and with his blessing he has requested me to promote an idea, which I believe is very credible indeed.

If the Government is serious about wanting to push the vaccination figures past 80 per cent of the adult population it can certainly be done easily, as this now is the only hope left of beating the pandemic which is killing people every day.

We can achieve this by joining hands and bringing on board people of influence. The reality is, if for example, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong who is a trusted figure addressed his 100,000 plus Catholic followers and the public in a national address to the nation.

He will command the respect of most of the population to consider having the vaccine and can win the hearts of the people with love and compassion.

In contrast if you have let’s say one of the minister’s addressing the nation it might not be as affective as there could be trust issues and the scripted delivery of the address may not be popular.

This is not being disrespectful, but more a realistic view of how people respect and trust individuals and his Archbishop Loy Chong certainly has the respect and trust of the public.

The same goes for the Methodist church leader, and other faith-based leaders. Give them a national platform to win the hearts of the people and you will see the difference.

You can invite people from all walks of life. I was looking at the election results of 2018 and noticed Sitiveni Rabuka received more than 77,000 votes just for himself and don’t forget a lot of people who didn’t bother to vote. So if he was to address the nation another 100,000 plus of his followers may be inclined to at least consider and contemplate having the vaccine if he speaks to them with love in his heart.

There are so many examples, of religious leaders, political leaders, and prominent NGO leaders such as Shamima Ali, Sashi Kiran and Nalini Singh who are a strong and powerful voice for women Fiji wide. If you give them a national platform to address the nation to have people consider having the vaccination it would have an effect,

Our local singers, who inspire all of us with their voices every single day on the radio plus on YouTube and have views now going into the millions. Request them to help in getting the message out there to the nation.

Not everyone would want to have the vaccine and we must certainly respect this and not force people, but it is the larger percentage of undecided individuals who we can all appeal to and help understand that by having the jab will ensure that they are doing it for themselves and their loved ones.

Let’s be honest. Judging from the local media, regional media and international media, who I have a very good relationship with, plus almost all social media platforms, it seems that the PM and Attorney-General, just cannot win the hearts of the nation and in most cases might actually make people do the opposite of what they say.

Therefore, I am reaching out and handing an olive branch to our leaders to say past is past, and now you must unite to save our nation from more deaths and suffering. You must be willing to take away pride, work together and also be humble and give the national platform to others so they can address the nation with love and conviction.

The Government has a massive national platform with wide reach which lays idle most of the time and by sharing this platform with strong and influential leaders you will achieve wonders in the vaccination program, I promise you.

If we don’t, we have already endured three months of death and misery and will continue for another five long months past November to complete this exercise while more people are dying, more people are getting infected and more people go hungry.

I urge you to choose love not hate, forgiveness not revenge and compassion not indifference.
Please, I am embarrassed to say this, but I beg you. If you truly love the nation, join hands and bring on board other leaders.

Some you might not see eye to eye with, but you must put personal differences aside for the sake of the nation.

We know other leaders can certainly make a difference to encourage and win the hearts of the undecided citizens and get us over the 80 per cent vaccination threshold, in a matter of weeks and not drawn out to months.

That decision is now in your hands as every day that passes the suffering and misery continues.

• Ajay Bhai Amrit is a freelance writer. The views expressed in this article are his and do not reflect the views of this newspaper.