Ioane Naivalurua | |
|---|---|
 Naivalurua in 2025 | |
| Minister of Police | |
| Assumed office 10 January 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Sitiveni Rabuka |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Member of the Fijian Parliament for the Republic of Fiji | |
| Assumed office 14 December 2022 | |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | FijiFirst (2014–2024) Independent |
Major General Ioane Naivalurua (also known as Iowane Naivalurua) is a Fijian politician,police officer,civil servant,and the current Minister for Police.
Naivalurua is from Suva and was educated at Marist Brothers Primary School,Royal Military Academy Sandhurst,and the Australian Defence College. [1]
Naivalurua has previously served as Land Force Commander in the Republic of Fiji Military Forces. [2] In February 2005 he promised that the army would never allow another coup in Fiji. [3]
Following the 2006 Fijian coup d'état he was appointed Commissioner of Prisons by the military regime. [4] In July 2007 he was promoted from Colonel to Brigadier General. [5] Later that month,following a purge of SOE chairs,he was appointed as chairman of Post Fiji Limited. [6] In 2010 he was appointed Commissioner of police. [7] In January 2011 he was reappointed as police commissioner for a three-year term. [8] His term expired in September 2013. [9]
In January 2014 he was appointed ambassador-at-large, [10] and allowed to visit New Zealand,despite official sanctions against members of the military regime. [11] [12] In March 2014 he was promoted to Major General. [13] In March 2015 he was appointed ambassador to China,replacing Esala Teleni. [14]
In September 2017 he was appointed permanent secretary of foreign affairs. [15] He resigned as permanent secretary and retired from public service in September 2019. [16]
Naivalurua stood as a FijiFirst candidate in the 2022 Fijian general election, [1] [17] and was elected to the Parliament of Fiji. [18]
Following the collapse of FijiFirst he remained in Parliament as an independent MP as the leader of the opposition Group of 9 Bloc. [19] On 10 January 2025,he was sworn as Minister of Police under Rabuka's government. [20]
Naivalurua is president of Basketball Fiji. In August 2023 he was awarded the FIBA President's Award for 2023. [21]