Officers within Fiji’s Counter Narcotics Bureau will adhere to the highest standards of loyalty and honesty, with the organization itself remaining incorruptible. Minister for Home Affairs Pio Tikoduadua expressed this stance during his appearance on The Lens@177 this week. Tikoduadua indicated that the narcotics bureau was a creation of his own, and any failure would reflect on his legacy.
The minister emphasized the responsibility to maintain high standards and the need for officers to exhibit the utmost professionalism. “Corruption will be the biggest decay of this particular committee,” he stated. “If my counter narcotics officers become corrupt, this is one thing I’m going to tell them today. They cannot afford to be corrupt.”
Tikoduadua highlighted that a strict code of conduct will be established to ensure officers maintain professionalism, which will be ingrained into the system. The effectiveness of a dedicated department to tackle narcotics is dependent on the integrity of its personnel, he noted.
“This organization cannot be corrupt. It should be incorruptible. A professional standard is up there, and it will be enforced. And any officer who wants to work here needs to be there with the best. We need to ensure that while we are controlling drugs, we need to be mindful of ourselves.”
The remuneration policies for narcotics officers are currently under review. “You’ve got to make sure that whoever comes to work in the area of the narcotics bureau will be beyond reproach, and being beyond reproach means you have to pay them well.”
When asked about accountability should officers become corrupt, Tikoduadua acknowledged his responsibility as the minister. “I cannot be entirely without blame. This is my creation. If it fails, that’s my legacy. So, I’ve got to make sure it works. But if one of my officers becomes corrupt due to his own making, he needs to be held to account. However, if it is because of the system and neglect on my part, then the minister should be held accountable.”