Changing of the Guard at FCS

In a solemn and emotional ceremony, the Acting Commissioner of Corrections Salote Panapasa handed over the reins of leadership to the new Commissioner of Corrections Dr Jalesi Nakarawa on May 22 in Naboro.

Dr Nakarawa, a former Corrections personnel himself recruited in 1979, serving for 20 years returns to the helm also with a former Corrections personnel in the new Deputy Commissioner Auta Moceisuva.

Dr Nakarawa had ventured into the field of academia after he left in 2001 while Deputy Moceisuva went on to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands and later to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

Both returned as lecturers at the Fiji National University where Dr Nakarawa was Assistant Professor in Law and Mr Moceisuva as Head of Department Management.

In handing over the reins, Mrs Panapasa said she felt at ease and felt a lot of confidence to see familiar faces from her time.

“Because I have been here for over 37 years, sometimes I feel alone because all I have journeyed with have left the service, and so you can imagine my sense of pride that two senior officers that I have learnt a great deal from and I used to look up to, are now back in the service to lead the FCS into the future.”

In his maiden speech, Dr Jalesi Nakarawa shared the great privilege he had to return to where it all began for him in 1979.

“This is where it all began for me way back in 1979. I left in 1979 to join the Civil Service with the Ministry of Home Affairs and returned in 1998 as Assistant Commissioner. I resigned in 2001 to migrate to New Zealand unaware that I will be back one day.

“Corrections made me what I am today, this is where my career began and this is where it will end.”

Dr Nakarawa acknowledged those that have served before him and contributed to setting the standards that the FCS has attained to date.

“To lead you is an honour, because leadership is not about the leader. Leadership is about you as members of Team Corrections and my role is to guide and help each one of your realize your full potential.

That you can perform to the best of your abilities. We are in this together as a team and I am committed to empowering the men and women of the service grow, learn and excel in your roles to move Corrections forward.

“Noting in life is permanent but change. I encourage you to embrace rather than resist change. As such, changes currently being implemented are aimed at improving service delivery and operational efficiency and I assure you there is nothing personal about it.”

Dr Jalesi Nakarawa graduated with a PhD in Law at the Waikato University and was serving as the Assistant Professor in Law at the Fiji National University before his appointment as Commissioner of Corrections.