22 September 2022
The National Federation Party (NFP) said Fiji is being ravaged by the diabolical spread of hard drugs like methamphetamine (Meth) because of the Fiji First government’s colossal failure to take decisive action to stop the spread of drugs.
NFP President Pio Tikoduadua has questioned the effectiveness of both border control enforcement as well as effectiveness of the Fiji Police Force to combat this scourge which is causing irreparable damage to the social and moral fabric of the society.
He questioned why the leadership of the Fiji First government and police was paying lip-service to the fight against the importation and manufacture of methamphetamine.
Mr Tikoduadua said instead, both government and police were only focusing on raiding farms in rural areas and the maritime province, especially Kadavu, to uproot and seize marijuana and charge the farmers.
He made the comment following a report by Vice World News following investigative reporting titled “ Meth is Turning Fiji from a Tropical Paradise into a Narco’s Playground”.
The NFP President said the report clearly points out that the use of hard drugs has spiraled out of control and is a far bigger disaster than climate change that this government keeps preaching about both here and abroad.
“While climate change is important globally, the impact of the sale and use of hard drugs like methamphetamine on education, health and poverty will be cataclysmic”.
“The fact that this government has allowed drugs to fester and spread throughout Fiji is horrifying”.
“Fiji First had the perfect opportunity to embrace a collective approach on August 9, 2019 if it had accepted my Motion in Parliament for the establishment of a special parliamentary committee to holistically look into the multifaceted risks of the hard drug situation in Fiji”.
“I had said this problem had a way of worming itself into the very safe space of family”.
“Not surprisingly, the Motion was trashed by Fiji First government with the Defence Minister bragging they had the problem under control”.
“At the end of the debate on this Motion, I was unjustly assaulted by the Prime Minister within the precincts of Parliament”.
“Tragically, our worst fears have been confirmed with Vice World News highlighting that meth is as easily accessible as lollipops, which means our children and youths are being viciously targetted by unscrupulous drug kingpins".
“It is obvious this government lacks the political will to tackle this issue head-on. And we wonder why Fiji First continues to be lackadaisical about this scourge”.
“The post-election People’s Alliance NFP government will quickly have a a parliamentary inquiry on the causes and effects of this very serious problem besieging our country, adopt decisive solutions and develop policies to combat the issue”.
Pio Tikoduadua President