Ratu Jone Kalouniwai right Person to head National Security
Brigadier-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai has been appointed the new Director General for National Security and Defence Council Secretariat. At 52 years old and in the prime of his life Ro Jone is the right person for the job.
Minister Inia Seruiratu could not have appointed a better person.
Ro Jone replaces Timoci Natuva. He brings with him a new dimension and depth to national security.
Ro Jone is well-trained and qualified to handle the pressures of ensuring that our nation and people are kept safe and well as we live our normal lives.
He is well versed with the concept of striking a balance between protecting freedoms and liberties on one hand and ensuring the security of the nation. It’s people and assets during an emergency.
In April this year he wrote a column in this newspaper defining the role and responsibility of the State in a state of emergency.
He answered many questions that some people were asking about limiting freedoms. These include travel, socialising and even free speech and expressions. He made it very clear that actions taken by Governments during this period were designed to protect their people and national interests.
We have witnessed this during our war against COVID-19.
Because of the measures that Government took we were able to achieve a COVID-19 free status before we were hit by a second wave through Fijians returning from India. But no one has died here from the killer virus whereas around the world COVID-19 has caused thousands of deaths, sickness and huge economic losses.
The measures have saved lives although there have been murmurings about curtailed freedoms and liberties, loss of jobs and business.
There are other threats to national security. The illicit drug trade and transnational crime continue to haunt us and our neighbours in the region. Fiji has been at the forefront of this battle.
Internally we need to be aware of the voices of dissent. They are okay if they within the bounds of the democratic process and the rule of law. But when they degenerate into lawlessness then they must be met with an appropriate response to protect people and property. We do not want to see what happened in the United States and the rest of the free world to happen here when people were killed and property destroyed in protests against racism and human rights abuse. God forbid. If there is one person we can put our trust on to protect all of us, it’s Ro Jone.