FELIX LESINAIVALU
LIEUTENANT Colonel (Ret’d) Sakiusa Raivoce is encouraging Fijians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to look into other sectors, such as agriculture and fisheries to find employment.
Mr Raivoce recently received a 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal from the President Major-General (Ret’d), Jioji Konrote during a special investiture ceremony at the State House.
“I spent 33 years in the Republic of Fiji Military Forces before joining the United Nations. I also spearheaded the enlistment of our soldiers for men and women to join the British Army.”
“And that was an achievement itself because now more than 3,900 of our people are part of the British Army.”
Mr Raivoce also started the Global Risk programme in Iraq after they contacted him, whereby for eight years from 2003, more than a thousand men and women went through the programme to be employed as security guards in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
“I am so honoured to receive this medal, I have already gotten the Fiji Independence medal as I was on parade on the 9th and 10th October 1970 when the Union Jack was lowered for the last time and the Fiji flag was raised on the morning of 10th October.”
“We have come a long way, and strictly speaking we are still finding our way.”
President Konrote, while addressing medal recipients and those present at the prestigious event, said the Investiture ceremony commemorates and celebrates Fiji’s 50th Anniversary of Independence.
He added the honour being bestowed on the recipients is to acknowledge and appropriately reward individuals who had served selflessly and contributed immensely towards Fiji’s socio-economic and political progress and development.
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