Minister of Defence National Security and Immigration
Mr. Joketani Cokanasiga
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SPEECH AT THE VUNISEA SECONDARY SCHOOL PASSING OUT PARADE
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Vunisea Fri 9thAugust, 2013
KADAVU 02.30pm
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The Principal;
Parents;
Teachers;
Cadets and Students;
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Bula vinaka!
It is an honor and a pleasure for me to be here to review the passing out parade for Vunisea Secondary School.

Vunisea Secondary School is a renowned institution and seat of learning. Although it is located in Kadavu, your achievements on the sporting field, your participation in events such as Tadra Kahani and the academic results of your students makes Vunisea Secondary School a recognized entity throughout our country.

Cadets, your display of military drill this morning was excellent! You showed teamwork, coordination and precision. I congratulate all of you as this passing out parade is the outcome of your hard work over a number of weeks. You should be proud of what you have achieved this morning.

Cadets, this morning I believe there are some of you who will be finishing off school, some will be pursuing further education, some will be entering the workforce, and of course those who will continue their studies here.

Wherever your plans may lead you and whatever life may have in store for you, I would like to leave you today with some values or principles, I believe, will greatly assist you as you become young men and women that will be an asset to the vanua, the church, to your families and to our country!

The first value is hard work. A famous saying goes – hard work never killed a man! In today’s society, we seem to have a mentality where we want to have everything handed to us. It is important for us to realize that we cannot succeed unless we are ready to work hard for what we want.

Secondly, I believe we must be committed. A commitment is a promise, it is a guarantee that you will do what you said you will do. It is important that once you have decided on a goal, on a career or even to excelling in your studies, commitment is what will keep you true and on the path to achieving your objective.

Cadets we must be honest. Honesty is the foundation upon which trust, honor and faith in one another is built. Cadets, we have seen the rise in crimes, social ills such as drug use, sexual abuse and corruption. Without honest people, our country will continue to see these ills grow and have a drastic effect on our wellbeing as a society.

Another important value we must aspire to is grace. Grace is the ability to forgive others who have wronged us. Grace is putting the needs of other before us. Grace is having the ability to work anywhere and with anyone, regardless of their race, gender or religion.

The fifth principle or value I would like to impart is service. Cadets, in life, everything we do, whether it is in our families, in our schools or when we are employed – we provide a service. Someone famous once said, in order to lead we must first learn how to serve. Therefore we must have an attitude of service. This will ensure that whether it is a situation in the family, in the classroom or in the workplace, we will be driven to do whatever is required of us and do it to the best of our ability.

The final principle, Cadets is obedience. In the bible the first promise made by God to the Israelites was in the fifth commandment: Honor your father and your mother and you shall live long in the land God is giving you. Remember to obey your parents and your teachers and you will prosper.

Cadets, we are living in exciting times. The Government has a vision where all of us will be able to succeed, prosper and live fulfilling lives. We are about to have a new Constitution which will enable us to participate in the first ever free and fair election in 2014.
At your age, this period of your life becomes even more challenging as you think about what lies ahead of you. I believe that if you work hard, be committed to whatever you do, remain honest, be graceful to others and always be willing to serve; you will succeed in whatever profession, career or field you pursue.

Cadets, Barrack Obama, the President of the United States once said “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

Cadets I congratulate you on passing out this morning. To the military instructors, vinaka vaka levu for preparing them well.

The Principal, parents and teachers, I thank you for your support rendered to the Cadets and urge you to continue to help and assist them in achieving what they want to do with their lives.

Ladies and Gentlemen, students and Cadets, I wish you all the best in your future undertakings.

Vinaka vaka levu.

END