Akuila Yabaki Jnr - 2022 Election Introduction

Hello, my name is Akuila Yabaki, and I am standing in this year’s election under the Unity Fiji banner. 

As the writ of the election has been laid down, I think it is about time to fully introduce myself. To do so I would like to talk a bit about my history with Fiji Politics, and then what I might see as my contribution to political leadership in Fiji.

Like many of my age back in 1987 I had only a passing interest in politics and politicians did not play a significant role in my life. In that year I had just entered  USP as a Foundation Science student.

But things were about to change very quickly and significantly. As my Father as a part of the executive of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma under the leadership of Reverend Josateki Koroi were couped or ousted as result of the Rabuka’s coup on the 14th of May 1987, by other Church ministers sympathetic to his cause. 

My Father and other Church ministers that were against the coup were immediately put on the street looking for alternative work and housing. 

From that point I began to have an interest and a perspective on Fiji politics, and I watched my father from the side-lines continue to be politically active as he sought to find common space for a harmonious and productive multi-racial Fiji. A vision that for me even at that time made total sense given the reality that we lived in.

So, as I went on to start work at ITC, the government computer centre, after graduating from USP I took that perspective of Fiji into my work. Ensuring that as I saw Fiji as a multi-racial country, and I moved into management, and was able to employ young graduates, I made sure that it reflected in how I awarded career opportunities. Not only that they were competent, to do the work, but that my team looked like Fiji.

In the meantime, my father had moved on with his politics with the “Back to May 14th” 1987 movement then onto the Citizens Constitutional Forum. A renegade not only of his Church hierarchy at that time but also of his own people. So, this was our family life. A renegade Dad and my polite, gentle, and loving mother trying to raise 4 children in this chaos. 

I remember in those times reading drafts of Constitutions as my Father would pass me things to read to raise my awareness to the issues at stake. As well as his letters in the papers and sermons he preached that spoke of the loving God of all people, that we believed in. 

In 2000 as George Speight undertook his civilian coup I was outraged as I sensed the fear in my Indo-Fijian workmates as my people rioted in Suva and spent months at the Parliament complex while the Fiji Military, traditional and church leaders played games with our democracy. 

I tried my best to offer comfort to my friends as the madness ran outside for months. Some of my Taukei workmates relishing in the madness at times,  ignorantly insensitive to what was happening to their Indo Fijian workmates. 

In 2001, my sister married an Indo Fijian gentleman who added to the richness of my life as a Fijian as well as to my understanding of Fiji politics. We shared the same belief in God but had walked different paths and thankfully, vocal as he was, I was able to have deeper understanding of an Indo Fijian perspective of life and the politics and its upheavals. But his greatest contribution to this political sharing was the birth to my sister of my 2 nieces and nephew.

As I became better at my profession I was sought after by various organisations to move over and help them with the growing IT investment. I turned down a few offers but was then approached by Datec to go over to lead a Pacific team looking after the of Westpac Bank Pacific Island Nations outsourcing of IT to IBM. 

Though I was enjoying my time at the government computer centre the challenge of being at the forefront of such a challenge for Fiji attracted me. The other attraction for me was that I knew Datec was a predominantly Indo Fijian staffed business and I had only worked in a Taukei led government where I was feted as a promising Taukei IT leader.

I wanted to work in an Indo Fijian led and predominantly Indo Fijian organisation to not only see how I would fare, but also to learn more of about my fellow citizenry at work at least, and maybe at home. It was path that was seen as madness by many of friends at that time but the challenge on those two fronts took me across.

In Datec I became involved in large software system projects and in response to a Government FMIS tender worked with a partner to propose a very cost-efficient upgrade of the present system. The race ended up with Bhallu Khan’s SAP led proposal and us racing  to the finish line. The SAP solution was so oversized not only in cost but in sophistication for Fiji that it just did not make sense to me. 

I remember working with Permanent Secretary at that time Savenaca Narube and his team trying to make the case to the Politicians that SAP was an overkill and that what we needed was a simple upgrade of the current system. It came down that the only way the cabinet would accept our proposal was if Datec “The Ah Koy business” pulled out as partner. So we lost the deal but Fiji won as we saved Fiji taxpayers millions of dollars and sent Bhallu Khan home without the deal he had come to Fiji for.

Then the Bai and Khaiyum regime, as we were awarded a 2-million-dollar contract to redevelop the Immigration system by the Major tender’s board only to then be called 2 or 3 weeks later to a meeting to be told that a Sri Lankan company had questioned our award and want it reviewed. We went knocking at every door to try and restore our position, but it was to no avail the Sri Lankans had arrived and they were going to play a major part in the politics of Fiji until today.

I remember at the time even knocking on the National Security Advisor,  who advises the PM every morning’s door, to try not only retrieve our position but to also warn them of what I could see happening. That is, of Khaiyum setting up his network throughout the country’s governance structure using the business houses, media and expat resources. But I was young lad in his mid-thirties talking up to Generals that said they knew their business of security. I was told after being asked to document my concerns, which I did, that the report from the PM’s desk was that I should not worry and that the Generals were in control. I knew then they were in over their heads and today we live in that reality.

I went back to my desk  and that day I had declared war on the regime soon to become Fiji First government. I showed my disdain and was not apologetic as to my feelings towards the regime well documented in my Social Media space till today.

My politics was going to define my life more than my profession. I remember sitting down one day and praying Lord I am going to war, and I need you to take care of my young family. Till today he has.

I may not be in continued  employment, but my sons are doing well at school, although like any parent can do better. We live on  6 acres of property and have no mortgage and my wife has a serious career at an International Development Bank and has just moved to an Open-ended contract. And my retired father is happily retired with the means to enjoy his retirement. 

In 2015 I was asked to resign from Datec with my CEO as Datec was taken over by Vodafone. I was surprised, but then again, I wasn’t, as I knew even my skills would not be tenable in a Vodafone company that treasured more its relationship with the regime and then the Fiji First government. 

As if it was planned my mortgage was paid just in time for me to leave their employment. 

Fortunately, I had a family business that I could fall back on to and with the occasional IT consultancy work I was able to keep up with my political activism. 

So, these are the experiences that have formed me, informed me and my politics. Experiences that I do not wish on anyone else especially my and your children. 

So, when our party leader Savenaca Narube approached me earlier this year to ask me to join him in the fight for the cause. I said, “Tau I have no money”. But he said don’t worry about that just come along and we’ll sort that out as we go along the way.

As to my contributions if the people believe Unity Fiji worthy, and I am suitably ranked in our party to get in. 

My first are those informed by life lessons. Life lessons centered on my unequivocal faith in the God that my Father has passed me. That have driven me to the madness that my poor wife and sons have lived with me through.

Because for me it has been a war. It has yet to end. But I aim to end it so that my children will have a better Fiji to live in. One that I enjoyed earlier in my life until that madness came upon us.

Second is my profession. I have always believed that Fiji has the capacity to have an Export Technology industry. Why? Because I have lived it. Taking local talent to provide IT services to overseas businesses even to the towering standards of IBM. 

What I have witnessed under this regime and government is that we have gone backwards. When once we were up there with rest of the developed world cutting code on state-of-the-art technology platforms and entering the Internet age just as developed world got on. 

We no longer do those things we can’t even do what we use to do way back on the 80’s which was run a government email system as I saw government official business cards start to advertise Gmail accounts after 2006 as they were unable to keep the existing system serviceable. 

Hopefully in my political life I will be able to put more time back into my profession and see the reappearance of the technology leadership that we once had in our economic development. Not the stupidity that we see in multiple Bank ATMs and Eftpos machines sitting side by side in public spaces and shops. 

And further build and export the professional services like in Medicine, Engineering that I believe we have the capacity to build and to market. Not the poor mans IT of Telemarketers and fruit pickers that previous governments including this one only has the vision for.

Our country has always been a beautiful country, its flora, fauna, land, and seas have always been a wonder to me. Why can’t our people live up to that beauty? They are not bad people. Our rugby heroes show that on the rugby field when they play and especially when they sing after their games for the world to see. They wear their hearts on their sleeves. 

It is because our leaders have mis-led us. Last week my father told me that Mr Rabuka had informed him that he was no longer able to preach. That he had been asked to withdraw as a lay preacher. 

The fact that as a Methodist Christian I had to listen to a Coup maker preach from the pulpit for years until the church came to its senses is a sad indictment of how our people have been mis-led. But I congratulate the President of the Methodist church today if that decision has come from his desk.

<Correction to the above. As commented by Inoke Q. Naivalulevu  below the policy was for all participating in politics to stand down. So not as I had hoped. I pray that my Church will be sensitive to it's perception from it's communities as it undertakes its work of taking the gospel to them.>

I believe we are principled people. We just need to start showing it in our politics. Let those that are standing for election and who seek to represent us know this. 

We just need to be braver. Because if we are, we will win a greater prize for our children and future our generations.

God bless Fiji.

Koro - Ravitaki, Kadavu

Mataqali - Namanusa

Koro-ni-Vasu - Keteira, Moala, Lau

Koro ni Vakamau - Vunikodi, Macuata

Awarded a prestigious Chevening Scholarship by the British Government

Attained a Master of Engineering in Information Technology from the University of Birmingham

Bachelor Science in Physics and Mathematics did a lot of Computing Units so that is how I ended up at the Government Computer Centre, ITC.

If you wish to support me in my political campaign, I will be having a fundraising event on the 19th of November and the tickets $100.

But if you wish to just contribute otherwise you can MPAISA to wife on +679 9941260 or share my post, and friend me on Facebook account Akuila Yabak-Jnr to see how else you may donate or be of help.

Vinaka.