NANISE NEIMILA
AS part of the Fiji Day 50th Independence celebrations, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama unveiled a monument dedicated to all frontline border control and healthcare workers who worked tirelessly to protect their fellow Fijians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the launch held at the Queen Elizabeth Drive last week, Prime Minister Bainimarama said these Fijians are the heroes our nation needed to weather this difficult year.
“Every time we lace up our boots for a game of rugby, every time we pray in our houses or worship, every time we gather with friends or hug a loved one, every time we enjoy freedoms that so many around the world do not have, we owe them our thanks.”
“When future generations 10, 20, even 50 years on from today read the words etched onto this monument, they will know the great lengths that Fijians went for each other. They will be inspired to do the same.”
“This monument also pays tribute to the present. It is an everlasting salute to the Fijians whose sleepless efforts and sacrifice have spared our people from the worst of COVID-19. I’m speaking of the doctors, the nurses, the lab technicians, and the members of our disciplined forces safeguarding our shores. Because of them we gather today not only in good spirits, but in good health.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bainimarama also unveiled another monument Fiji 50 Jubilee Feature. “This new monument is dedicated to Suva City, our capital through our independent history and long before, all the way back to 1882 when the seat of the then-colonial administration was moved here from Levuka.”
“With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging overseas, that good health is our greatest blessing, for the coronavirus is contained in Fiji. We are safe –– at home in the safest place in the world. The lives of our most vulnerable are not at risk. With global infections from the coronavirus nearing 37 million and over one million deaths recorded, Fijian hearts break for our friends around the world who continue to contend with this sinister plague.”
-ENDS-