Worrying trend

Soccer woes

FIJI Football Association has appointed another normalisation committee to manage the affairs of Nasinu Football Association after the former officials failed to comply with the mandatory requirements of Fiji FA. Five other districts including Ba, Lautoka, Nadroga, Savusavu and Taveuni are already in the control of the normalisation committees. It only attests that not all is well in the way they were being managed. It seems to me that there are some serious lapses in the administration and management that has led to this decision. Obviously, these capacity gaps need to be addressed and strengthened.

It is not clear as to what is the terms of reference for these interim administrations. Are they required to submit any report to Fiji FA? I hope their role is extended with the mandate to carry out an independent investigation of any allegations of misappropriation or abuse of office by the executives. On that note, I wonder what selection process is employed in the appointment of the members of the interim committees. Are they hand-picked by Fiji FA or nominated by the districts? Do they have the necessary expertise to perform the tasks assigned to them?

SELWA NANDAN

Lautoka

New appointment

I NOTE that in the May 6 FT article, ‘Chetty appointed new Investment Fiji CEO’ , there is mention by board chair that Kamal Chetty has 14 years of relevant professional experience, and it is reported that: ‘He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Official Statistics and Accounting and Financial Management and a Postgraduate Diploma in Diplomacy and International Affairs. He is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA).’

While I congratulate Mr Chetty on his appointment, and commend the Fiji Investment Board for its decision, I would like to point out that it is rather unusual that the university where Mr Chetty obtained his qualifications from is not stated at all.

From his undergraduate majors, it is clearly apparent that he obtained this degree as well as his postgraduate qualification from the University of the South Pacific (USP).

I write to correct this omission. The more than 50,000 graduates of USP include the prominent accounting professional, community leader and former member of the Fijian Electoral Commission, Ms Jenny Seeto, the chair of the Fiji Investment Board.

PROFESSOR VIJAY NAIDU

Suva

Daily observation

UNFORTUNATELY, it’s become almost a daily observation to hear barking dogs chasing children who are screaming in Lautoka. As I experienced this on Thursday evening, I thought of Allen Lockington’s articles in the letters to the editor column. Meanwhile, by coincidence a taxi stopped by and a gentleman with gumboots got out. It was none other than the man himself, Allen Lockington. He was on his rounds doing community work assisting the needy. Before

I could ask, he boldly stated that the gumboots were a protection against the ever increasing and aggressive canine population in Lautoka. By the way, it was a pleasure to meet Allen and he certainly looks younger. Perhaps it’s the baby mix from Kadavu which works wonders but on a serious note, we do have a real issue with the significantly increased dog population in Lautoka.

FLOYD ROBINSON

Toorak, Suva

PEOPLE are expected to live life to the fullest. According to Lifeline Fiji the youngest person to commit suicide in Fiji was a 7-year-old child. To all young people out there, please refrain from taking your own precious lives and there’s someone who you can share what you going through in your life every day. Suicide is not the answer for the easy way out. #Say No to Suicide #Suicide is not my culture# Suicide is wrong.

JADON ERONI MASIVESI

QVS, Nukuvuto

Roe vs Wade

ROE vs Wade was a landmark decision of the US Supreme Court in which the court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. Earlier this week, Politico published a draft of a Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. The court confirmed that the document is genuine, but emphasised that it is not the court’s final word. If justices embrace the sweeping document, they will deal a grievous blow to freedom in the United States — and to the legitimacy of the court itself.

I am surprised the Fiji media did not cover this as it can have disastrous implications about how individual freedom is being snatched from us.

The draft ruling’s reasoning and extreme potential consequences are very concerning. Written by Justice Samuel A. Alito, the document would declare Roe “egregiously wrong”, cancel its guarantees of reproductive choice and empower lawmakers to change at will this long-held right.

The court’s legitimacy rests on the notion that it follows the law, not the personal or ideological preferences of the justices who happen to serve on it at any given time. We rely on the court to exercise care and restraint against making sharp turns that might suddenly declare their everyday choices and activities unprotected or illegal. Over the course of nearly half a century, the court not only issued Roe but upheld its bedrock principles against later challenges. Throughout, the original 1973 decision enjoyed broad and unwavering public support. Alito’s draft claims that the court’s ruling would not imply that other constitutional rights, such as same-sex marriage or access to contraception, are in jeopardy. But given the brazen abandon with which he would discard abortion rights, his assurances ring hollow. He would begin a terrifying new era in which Americans would lose faith in the court, distrust its members and suspect that what is the law today will not be tomorrow. They would justifiably fear that rights will be swept away because a conservative fringe now controls the judiciary.

“The republic endures and this is the symbol of its faith”. Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes said as the cornerstone was laid for the Supreme Court Building in 1932. The court’s conservative majority appears to be on the verge of abandoning justices’ sacred charge to stand firm for individual rights. The US Supreme Court may never recover from overturning Roe v. Wade and this can have worldwide implications, including Fiji. A sad day for individual freedom in the country that is touted as the leader of the free world. Not any more. ARVIND MANI

Nadi