There seems to be no end to the unprincipled conduct of the Coalition government as reports reach Grubsheet that the serial sexual harasser, Pita Wise, has been earmarked for the job of official secretary to the incoming “pedophile president”, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.
Removed from the job of permanent secretary to the Prime Minister after Sitiveni Rabuka disclosed publicly that allegations of sexual harassment had been made against him in the PM’s office, Pita Wise was then briefly lined up to be Fiji’s Ambassador to Japan. But the offer was suddenly withdrawn amid speculation that the Japanese had simply refused to accept him.
Now comes news that the Prime Minister is trying to foist Pita Wise on the Public Service Commission to go to State House as the official secretary to Rabuka’s chief – the Tui Cakau – who is about to take office amid a furore over his history as a convicted criminal, racist, misogynist and someone who impregnated a 15 year old girl, with whom he evidently has a child.
Yes, folks, welcome to the better governance that the Coalition promised us in which a sexual harasser is being teamed up with an alleged pedophile at the apex of the State. For anyone with a normal moral compass, it simply beggars belief. But welcome to the moral cesspit of Sitiveni Rabuka’s Fiji.
Government sources say that for once, there is significant push-back against the appointment on the grounds that Pita Wise is a serial abuser of women and unfit to hold the job. Yet it remains to be seen whether the rebellion that is evidently taking place behind the scenes results in the whole sordid proposal being dropped.
One of the worst aspects of the plan – say insiders – is that the Prime Minister wants the official secretary’s position to be upgraded to permanent secretary status to match the salary Pita Wise was getting in the PM’s office. Apparently the official secretary’s job normally carries a salary of around $70,000 a year but Wise has been used to getting well over $200,000 a year and isn’t prepared to take a bath.
It’s your taxes at work again, Fiji. But with the added squalor of a man with accusations of serial sexual harassment against him being paired up at State House with the “pedophile president” – who should rightly have been charged with a criminal offence for underage sex but is now our head of state.
Why on earth would Sitiveni Rabuka possibly think he could get away politically with such an outrage? Because he has gotten away with everything else. Pita Wise is a relative (the uncle of the child Rabuka fathered with the Fiji Times veteran journalist, Margaret Wise) and Ratu Naiqama is Rabuka’s chief. So if they want to work together, who is the Prime Minister to get it the way of turning State House into a palace of sleaze?
Stripped to the essentials, Pita Wise and Naiqama Lalabalavu clearly deserve each other – moral vacuums unconstrained by the shame of their conduct towards women and in the case of the incoming president, a young girl who was reportedly the daughter of a caretaker on his Taveuni estate.
But how much longer are the Fijian people and the pathetically compliant mainstream media going to keep turning a blind eye to conduct that anywhere else in the world, would have the two men in question before the courts and the Prime Minister driven from politics altogether? Answer: Welcome to Fiji.
As successive foreign diplomats arrive in the country and present their credentials at State House, rest assured that they will be briefed by their own people on the scandal surrounding the president and official secretary and the sordid “secrets” that bind them together. Two men posing as respectable officers of state with a licence, courtesy of the taxpayer, to able to snigger privately behind the scenes about their sexual exploits and how they got away with it.
It really is completely beyond the pale. This government is corrupt to the core and no amount of excuses can be made for such an appalling breach of normal standards of official conduct.
There are already grounds for respectable people to boycott state occasions because of the criminal, racist, misogynist and “pedophile president”. But if the appointment of Pita Wise goes ahead, it would compound the degradation of our institutions and it is for all right-thinking people, and especially those in the women’s movement, to now draw a line in the sand and say that enough is enough.
POSTSCRIPT:
Biman Prasad and his NFP colleagues welcomed the appointment of Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu as our head of state in a shocking betrayal of their duty to hold the Coalition to higher standards of governance. Do they now welcome the prospect of Pita Wise being appointed his official secretary?
No one listened when all were warned that once Rabuka came into power, he would be in full control, reinstate GCC, release Speight and all other thugs from prison.
Graham, Pita Wise is the younger brother of Mrs Emily Wise Lalabalavu, the wife of the incoming President. So brother in law will be first secretary to his sister’s husband!
Meanwhile Rabuka is no better! We all watched as his daughter, the ex wife of Minister for Education, took the stage along with other Fiji National University Executive staff during the Business Excellence Awards last night held at the Sheraton Resort. The woman couldn’t even get her contract renewed at EFL for non performance but Vice Chancellor Dr Unaisi Nabobo saw it fit to appoint Salaseini Rabuka to the position of Director Training. Must be Dr Unaisi securing her own job through Salaseini eh ?
It’s no wonder Fiji is in the doldrums. It’s jobs for the Family First coalition government and for the Old Girls, Old Boys and fans.
Golly, I hadn’t realised that Pita Wise is also related by marriage to the incoming president. This really is astonishing. Never mind jobs for the boys. This is like a real life episode of the sitcom “All in the Family”.
What a joke!
GD, that’s why he has always had a job with Sodelpa and then PAP. Otherwise Pita is not worth his salt as a PS. He was my Deputy Secretary at one point during my career. The guy would take our presentations and work done and pass them off as his own. He made his way up quickly in the civil service at the back of hard working back breaking poor sods like me who were just trying to survive as single mums at the time!
A bully and a groper ! He had the habit of being touchy with women and even gay guys so from then we had a long list of complaints against the nerd, mine included. They didn’t do anything about it so one Christmas party I simply punched his mouth when he tried to grope me again after a few drinks !
So yeah when his sister stole Rt Naiqama from Rota (Rt Naiqama’s ex wife whom he was still married to at that time, we weren’t surprised! Some secrets are well hidden whilst for the rest of us, we make our mistakes by becoming involved with people we don’t know well enough. Much to our regret!
NFP have prostituted themselves. And why are people surprised with Biman endorsing the pedophile’s appointment? Baimaan is an alleged sexual harasser too. Lucky for him Pryde didn’t press charges. Baiman’s tendencies go back to USP when he was a lecturer.
NOTE: This comment has been amended for legal reasons.
If Siromi Turaga is an Afro Fijian on account of his Afro American ancestry then Pita Wise us a sino Fijian or a Sino Sol Fijian because if his Chinese and Solomon Islander ancestry on his mom’s side from Vanua Levu.
Am not saying this as a put down, but to show that behind every person is a story. And when you serve in public office that story needs to be disclosed to avoid the potential for a conflict of interest.
@ Malcom X.
This article has brought out the racist in you. Why does his racial profile disqualify him for the role?
There are other issues thst may disqualify him but don’t start with the race card. I assume you are an Indian vulagi.
And you are just offensive. It is about the hypocrisy of people posing as indigenous and lording it over “vulagi” when they are half caste. Or quarter caste. Or whatever.
There is nothing more distasteful than this kind of selective superiority when it comes to belonging. None of us are visitors. We all belong. That is the law as it stands and any attempt to change it will be strongly resisted.
This is the government’s continuous process and program to set the highest standards for Fijians. With a legend such as Rabuka at the helm, who is continuously apologising and who continues to know nothing, the people of Fiji are really lucky and proud that they have such a man leading them. After 37 years of history and doing f/all for Fijians he was the most approprite person to rid the previous mob and bring about change.
What irks me is that those who helped put him there are now jumping up and down the highest and lowest and barking the loudest.
Interestingly, it will be the same in a few months time by those who put Trump there.
There are idiots everywhere, not just in Fiji!
The ‘elite’ of Fiji Government are no better than ‘alley cats’ given the attempts to appoint the likes of Peter Wise!
Appointments by this government are continuing to be based solely on who people are related to, with moral standards and competency being ignored.
Peter Wise should have been charged, irregardless of him resigning! But of course another ‘protected’ relative of the PM!
As for Biman, the NFP and the mainstream media you are a joke and by your silence willing partners in this charade of a government.
Fiji continues to slide in to a failed third world country.
What’s probably very important is the fact that none of the women in Rabuka’s government have voiced concern about the appointment of a pedophile president leading Fiji and a womaniser for the president’s secretary.
It’s shocking how these women will stoop so low and accept these things, all to keep their cushy jobs and huge perks. So, should I draw the conclusion these women ministers will do anything for money? And here I was thinking prostitution was illegal in Fiji.
Fiji, the way the world should be.
Why be surprised that there are multi generational tangled webs of relationships,especially in Vanua Levu? This will be like the tip of the iceberg,only in the tropics…and this is just referring to the iTaukei connections.
I remember the late Gurbachan Singh with his fine turban and beard,sitting in the window of his emporium in Labasa,in the 1970s. Charans father. Later a business relationship arose between the previous Tui Macuata and Charan Jeath Singh,made most visible by the sign on the gable of the building by the market,the joint holding. No impropriety suggested, even if the sudden death at sea of the previous Katonivere was subject of many dark mutterings at the vanua level, io,SA rauta me matega vaka sauri, etc.
There will be many other long term webs at work too. Such is Fiji. I always remember the speight interview in the midst of the hostage saga, from parliament house, Ray Martin and George, who had just expounded on how even though Indians ate,looked and even smelled different, he definitely wasn’t racist….punchline…why,my best friend is Indian…to Ray Martin’s barely concealed delight. At the time that may have been the truth,around the kava bowls a certain prominent business family were identified. I bet everyone knows who.
@ Anonymous November 10: “Why does his racial profile disqualify him for the role?”
For the same reason this half caste leveni kai solomoni disqualifies ‘Indian vulagis’ from civil service and diplomatic corps jobs. And to remind you, another chinese descendent wanna be native blamed the natives failings on the ‘indian vulagi’ in his underwhelming gcc report. Not racism then?
It is the natives like you and wanna be natives such as this runt that constantly play the race card, expecting no push back. The runt being at the forefront of the ‘indian vulagi’ purge since Dec 2022.
If you all wish to play the race card only when it suits your racist agendas, then don’t be surprised when others use the rest of the deck to get back at you.
We know what the pedo president thinks of ungrateful ‘melanesian slaves’ from the Solomons. Didn’t he call the Bai fella and his people ungrateful bastards who are free to ‘go back’?
Wonder if pedo thinks the same (un)wisely of this serial women sexual harasser.
See how racism works? No winners.
The new President was eminently qualified to be Speaker. No one objected then, except me of course.
Suddenly when he is appointed President he, is a pedo, a misogynist, racist, convicted criminal, treasonous etc. I guess he became all of this after being appointed Speaker?
Yes, I know, it was convenient at the time as one had to get rid of the previous mob at any cost. And, yes, the Speaker’s job was just like a referee in parliament so it was not important. So how come the secretary to the President’s job has become very important suddenly?
Bloody idiots everywhere.
And where are the investigative journalists? Why don’t they interview this lady who was abused, the son, the family and everyone else involved in the cover up. The whole village. Fiji is a free country now. What happened?
Except you, of course. Here’s a mirror. Go on. Gaze into it and admire your brilliance. Your 10 second moment of fame.
I already know I am the only one who is not an idiot in this forum, so no need for a mirror.
You should admit you have been an idiot and lack judgement even after so many decades of journalism. Redeem yourself and go and interview the lady who was abused and the son and those in the village and expose this imbecile. You can do it remotely.
That way you may make a difference and rid Fiji of this shithead as president, because you are partly responsible for putting him there as President and as Speaker.
Yes, it’s all my fault. Now tell the nice man in the white coat who gives you your meds. He’ll know what to do.
My doctor said “I do not want to see you again, there is nothing wrong with you”.
You were clearly infectious. He has caught the same bout of self delusion.
I don’t think that NFP has a choice, toe the line or leave the governing party. There are many in the ex FijiFirst opposition ready to step into a ministerial job, and the NFP contingent will be out of a job. I am reliably informed that a new party is in the offing which will leave Rabuka in the cold. Biman could well have a part in that. But alas ,thanks to the salary increase he gave himself Rabuka will enjoy a happy retirement .
I’m sure the NFP is already gearing up for the next elections as they are very well aware of the concerns of minority races in government organisations fearing for their jobs if NFP is not part of government which is exactly why they are still there in the first place even though most party members wanted to leave due to the salary increase debacle.
If NFP leave government now it will become an indigenous government which the minority races in government organisations fear will remove them from their jobs (especially at Fiji Airways, FDB and FNPF where PA is fighting to take control of from NFP). Already there are mutterings in board meetings where every Indo-Fijian board member is thought to be an appointee of the NFP even though the PM has his fair share of Indo-Fijian board appointees in Fiji Airways and FDB to name a few government organisations.
Exactly. There is a fear among Indo-Fijians employed in government organisations that they will lose their jobs if NFP leave or are removed from government before 2026 or that they are not part of a post government coalition after 2026 if PA win by an outright majority. Personally, the only person stopping the racist elements of PA running rampant is the PM. He has time and time again both publicly and privately tried to unite his broken party given by his speech at their AGM and his fair share of Indo-Fijian appointees on boards (even though most of them are his friends). So at this point you hope Rabuka survives his party turmoil until a better option comes along by 2026.
A layman’s perspective; when the top tier of government is scandalised by sexual predators, there will be prostitution within the lower ranks. Any wonder why the women in parliament are staying hush? It’s not just the perks. Sad, but it’s going to be the harsh truth in the coming days.
What is so important that Rabuka keeps pushing for appointments of people whose conduct and character are questionable?
Why is Peter Wise still so important and indispensable after being pushed out of the PM’s office. If PM likes him for who he is ( not for brains, though), then he should have remained in PM’s office.
Here is another example of a person being lined up for a high position who has so many allegations against him. Sanity demands that allegations of such nature are first investigated before any possible appointments to be even thought about.
Has the government run out of good people for appointments to high and critical positions? Since day one, they have been appointing failed politicians, retired people, migrants and people with blemished character and failures. PSC, the appointing agency itself, has two retirees, so what do you expect?
Most deserving people are being left out under this government. What’s next?
It is our soon to be new President that is pushing for all of this for his brother in law Pita Wise. Blatant nepotism and corruption for someone forced to resign from his last position for sexual harassment. He should be reported to police and charged to stop this fiasco for once and for all. And where is our free media in all this? Useless.
The job has been advertised. Looks like they failed at getting the salary to PS level. And the articles says “applicants must be under the age of 60” which would surely disqualify Wise
https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/job-of-official-secretary-to-president-advertised/
Thank you for this. Presumably the PSC has held the line on the salary demand.
Strange how no-one has denied my story and there has been no comment either on Rajend Naidu’s letter in today’s Fiji Sun.
Time will tell, as the old saying goes. But maybe installing Pita Wise at State House was too much even by Rabuka’s standards.
I would like to think these idiots who are governing now periodically, if not constantly, check GS for public opinion/feedback. So, my little brain is telling me that they are obviously taking bits and pieces on board. But who knows with these crooks, they’re not below anything atm.