Public Criticism Over Minister’s 42-Day Overseas Trip Sparks Defense Response

Well known political commentator, Nirmal Singh, has publicly criticized a planned 42-day overseas trip by Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Pio Tikoduadua, questioning the necessity and timing of such travel amid Fiji’s ongoing domestic challenges.

In a strongly worded social media post, Singh expressed shock at the duration of the trip, asking, “Which progressive country has a minister travelling abroad for 42 days?” He highlighted the country’s struggles with crime, deteriorating law and order, and an alarming rise in drug use among teenagers. Singh questioned whether such a long trip was a prudent use of taxpayers' money during what he described as a financial crisis.

“Fiji is becoming the hub in the Pacific for transhipment and local use of drugs… Granted, we need to motivate our peacekeepers abroad, but in this day and age of technology, why can't the minister have a talanoa session over Zoom?” Singh asked. He also criticised the Minister for Health for travelling to India while Fiji faces a shortage of basic medical supplies.

Singh further questioned whether the trip was politically motivated: “Is this some kind of political payback or cementing the political support by enticing the minister with overseas travel, and that also for more than a month?”

In response, Minister Tikoduadua issued a detailed statement defending the trip, which includes visits to Fijian peacekeepers serving in the Golan Heights, Jerusalem, Tiberias, and the Sinai. He said the visit was not a vacation but a mission to personally connect with Fijian soldiers serving under the United Nations and Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) overseas.

“I wore the uniform of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. I served in Lebanon as a UN peacekeeper... That memory lives in me every day, and it is what compels me to make this journey now,” he said.

He rejected suggestions that the visit could be replaced with a virtual call, saying, “To suggest that a Zoom call can replace that responsibility is not just naïve—it is offensive. We are not dealing with virtual soldiers.”

The minister emphasised that the trip is tightly managed in terms of cost, with some expenses covered by host agencies, and insisted that only he, as the minister responsible, is travelling—unlike past administrations that sent large delegations.

Tikoduadua also acknowledged the country’s internal problems, saying his work on the Police Reset, National Security and Defence Review, and counter-narcotics reforms will continue in his absence. “National security doesn’t begin or end at our borders. It extends to every Fijian who wears our uniform abroad,” he said.

“To those who have raised concerns in good faith—I hear you,” he concluded. “To those who prefer outrage over facts and politics over patriotism—I suggest you speak to the families of the soldiers I will be visiting.”

"Ask them if their sons and daughters are worth the ministers time and presence."

Minister Tikoduadua is expected to return after completing his tour of peacekeeping missions abroad.