Retired Lieutenant Colonel and Counselor and Military Attache’ at Fiji’s New York Mission Neumi Vakadewabuka has been appointed as the new Marist Old Boys Association President at their Annual General Meeting.
Vakadewabuka is currently the security and climate change advisor to the German development agency GIZ and replaces former President Koli Korovulavula.
Originally from Burerua Village, Sawakasa in Tailevu, the former Lieutenant Colonel says his leadership will be defined by trust, integrity, and unity.
He says MOBA has great potential, but through better systems of governance, financial accountability, visitations to those that are suffering, group insurance packages, business hubs to promote startups, business networking to mentoring, promote markets, give back better to the school, revenue generation activities and establishing a MOBA clubhouse to provide a social space for all these activities which they currently do not have.
Vakadewabuka says he needs the MOBA's support in his role as president because Fiji's global trends of conflict, geostrategic competition, trade tariff wars, and import-based economy forecast increased cost of living in the future.
He urged the old boys to support each other with inward solutions brothers' keepers in the tough future ahead.
Vakadewabuka says the AGM was one of the biggest turnouts in their recent history, as they also appointed former senior civil servant and former Director and Registrar of Cooperatives Faizal Khan as Secretary, Kenwyn Lord as Treasurer and fellow committee members Geoffrey Smith, William Otterbech, and Lepani Ravoka.
The new committee will serve a three-year term from 2025 to 2028.
