The Leader of the National Federation Party Professor Biman Prasad says the FijiFirst Government is drunk on power, is in election mode and allegedly abusing valuable state resources while 50 percent of our population is struggling daily to put food on the table for their children and families.
Prasad says he has received many calls in the last few days informing him that Cabinet Ministers were having Talanoa sessions in their communities.
He says even Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, who is the Attorney-General and Minister for Economy seems to be in campaign mode after having reportedly announced that there would be a mini-budget in March.
Prasad questions why are the Acting PM and other Cabinet Ministers having Talanoa sessions, why cannot the Economy Minister be precise and come out clearly on whether or not there will be a mini-budget instead of revealing it in a discussion with students.
He says even the Education Minister is having Talanoa sessions with teachers after having totally messed up the ministry and putting in jeopardy the careers of the school heads.
The NFP Leader says the Health Minister has gone on a tour of Kadavu.
Prasad says the Minister for Health has overseen the state of decay of public health and medical services and care due to lack of medication, dysfunctional diagnostic equipment because of the ministry’s inability to even properly maintain them.
He says the sorry and sad sight of grass growing on the CWM Hospital sums up his performance in the portfolio since November 2018.
Prasad says families are struggling to feed their children as poverty levels in the last two years have escalated from almost 30% to 50%, affecting more than 400,000 people.
He says thousands are without safe drinking water in their taps almost on a daily basis.
Prasad adds that the state of the pot-holed filled roads is another story and the sky-rocketing cost of living is going to get worse with the expected rise in the price of fuel and wheat in the near future.
The NFP Leader adds that against this backdrop of doom and gloom, the Cabinet Ministers travel in their dark-tinted luxury Prados to meet the people as if everything is normal.
Prasad says this is clearly an abuse of taxpayers’ resources on something that will in no way improve the lives of the people.
We have sent questions to the Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, the Minister for Health Ifereimi Waqainabete and the Minister for Education Premila Kumar.
They are yet to respond.
