Drug issue ‘Parliament’s problem’
LANDS Minister Filimoni Vosarogo says Fiji’s drug problem is now Parliament’s problem.
He told Parliament this week, the drug scourge “wakes us to a dangerous potential that can destroy the nation we all love”.
He said the recent spate of drug busts in the West was “beyond shocking”.
“When I was a young prosecutor, more than two decades ago, such finds of drugs that we found recently in Legalega and Maqalevu, could not even possibly be thought of,” Mr Vosarogo said.
“As prosecutors, we learnt of the trend, every crime starts small, without detection, it festers and without detection, it aggravates.”
The minister added that tonnes of drugs just don’t suddenly pass through our shores.
“What it means is that it festers and it increases over time.”
Mr Vosarogo said the Coalition Government that was voted into power by all Fijians would continue to serve all Fijians.
“I am told that in 2019, a motion was moved in Parliament by then Opposition members for a joint committee to combat Fiji’s drug problem.
“We all know how that day ended. “Instead of trying to win cheap partisan points, please, revisit that motion and bring it up, you will see that this Government will support it without reservation.
“The drug problem in our country must now be Parliament’s problem because we are legislators.”
The minister urged the MPs on both sides of the House to work together on matters that “even the Opposition have laid as challenges”.
He said there was no room for fearmongering in Parliament because the Government was a Government for all.
“We must run with the challenge of working bipartisan on all matters that affect us as a nation.”