Litia Qionibaravi

Litia Qionibaravi

Adi Litia Qionibaravi is a Fijian chief and civil servant, who served for more than thirty years in the Fijian Affairs Ministry before being appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Fijian Affairs Board (FAB) on 17 June 2005 [http://www.fijitv.com.fj/index.cfm?go=tv.resources&cmd=forumview&cbegin=0&uid=fijionenews&cid=1505] . In this capacity, she oversaw the work of the country's fourteen Provincial Councils. [http://www.fijitv.com.fj/index.cfm?go=tv.resources&cmd=forumview&cbegin=0&uid=fijionenews&cid=10855] , the Fijian Affairs scholarship unit, and the Secretariat of the Great Council of Chiefs.

Dismissal

The appointment was supposed to be for five years, but 13 December 2006, she was dismissed by the military junta that had seized power on 5 December [http://www.fijilive.com/news/show/news/2006/12/13/13Fijilive21.html] ; the Military cited her alleged unwillingness to cooperate with the interim administration. Fiji Live reported that three armed soldiers had evicted her from her office in the building of the Native Lands Trust Board (NLTB).

Fiji Television reported on 24 December, however, that she had refused to accept her dismissal. Ratu Ovini Bokini, Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs supported her stance, claiming that only the FAB was empowered to terminate her contract. [http://www.fijitv.com.fj/index.cfm?go=tv.resources&cmd=forumview&cbegin=0&uid=fijionenews&cid=11114] She continued to work from an improvised office in the Great Council of Chiefs Secretariat [http://www.fijivillage.com/artman/publish/article_34440.shtml] , in defiance of the regime, which appointed Ratu Meli Bainimarama, brother of Military Commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama, in her stead. Commodore Bainimarama reacted angrily on 17 December, with Fiji Live quoting him as saying that the stance of the Great Council of Chiefs in refusing to recognize Qionibaravi's dismissal was indicative of their noncooperation with the Military regime.

The Fijian Affairs Board formalized the termination of Qionibaravi's contract on 20 January 2007. The newly appointed board - consisting of five five interim Cabinet Ministers and chaired by Ratu Epeli Ganilau, the Interim Minister for Fijian Affairs formally dismissed her at an emergency meeting called "to regularize the issue of Adi Litia," in Ganilau's words. [http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=55548]

Corruption allegations

On 22 December, Commodore Bainimarama was quoted in Fiji Village as accusing Qionibaravi of having misused government funds to buy a personal vehicle and to pay the two workers renovating her house in Ma'afu Street, Suva. [http://www.fijivillage.com/artman/publish/article_34607.shtml] On 23 December, Qionibaravi replied that she was "shocked" to hear the allegations, but refused to comment further. [http://www.fijivillage.com/artman/publish/article_34622.shtml] On 23 December, however, she held a press conference and angrily denied the allegations, saying that she owned no house in Ma'afu Street; she had an FAB office there, she said. The car had been purchased with a loan approved by her superior, the Permanent Secretary for Fijian Affairs, the Fiji Times quoted her as saying. [http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=54095]

Personal life

According to the Fiji Sun (14 December 2006), Qionibaravi hails from Ucunivanua in Verata, Tailevu Province.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • List of Fiji-related articles — NOTOC Articles (arranged alphabetically) about people, places, things, and concepts related to or originating from Fiji, include: 0 9 2007 Colonial Cup A Rodney ACRAMAN Adi Adi Da James AH KOY Air Fiji Air Pacific Air Pacific destinations Ahmed… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Fijians — This list comprises Fijian citizens, and some foreigners associated with Fiji. For the sake of size, persons who could be listed under multiple categories should generally be listed only under the category for which they are best known. The term… …   Wikipedia

  • Teimumu Kepa — Ro Teimumu Vuikaba Kepa (born 1945) is a Fijian chief and politician. A former students coordinator at the University of the South Pacific and principal of Corpus Christi College, she succeeded her late sister, former First Lady Ro Lady Lala Mara …   Wikipedia

  • 2006 Fijian coup d'état — The Fijian coup d état of December 2006 occurred as a continuation of the pressure which had been building since the military unrest of the 2000 Fijian coup d état and 2005 2006 Fijian political crisis. Fiji has seen four definitive coups in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Meli Bainimarama — Ratu Meli Bainimarama is a Fijian civil servant, who currently serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ministry of Fisheries and Forests. Prior to this appointment, reported by Fiji Live on 25 May 2006 [1], he was CEO of the Fijian Affairs …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”