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TAGALOA
FOLLOWS IN FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS |
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By Lagi Keresoma |
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Twenty six years on,
Tagaloa Tuala Sale Tagaloa was sworn in as President of the Lands and
Title Court following in the footsteps of his father, Tagaloa Tuala
Siaosi, a Member of Parliament for Anoama'a West from 1960-1963.
Tagaloa Tuala Senior was appointed a Judge for the Samoa Lands and
Title Court in 1968. In 1979, he retired while holding the title of
Deputy President for the Lands and Title Court.
In 1996 after a nine year term as Member of Parliament, Tagaloa Tuala
Sale stepped into the political shoes of his father, who was also a
Member of Parliament for the same constituency.
After the completion of his secondary schooling in Samoa where he
attended both Leifiifi Intermediate and Samoa College, Tagaloa Sale
went on to New Zealand where he would spend the next sixteen years.
He attended the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, where he
graduated with a degree in Political Science and Law (B.A. LLB.). He
was admitted as a Barristers and Solicitor of the High Court in
Christchurch in 1985. During his time in New Zealand he also worked as
a social worker and as a Race Relations Conciliator.
Tagaloa was also active in the New Zealand Samoa Community. He is a
former Chairperson for the Samoa Advisory Council in Christchurch.
Tuala was also a Member of the Board at the McMillan Brown Centre for
Pacific Studies at the University of Canterbury.
After returning to Samoa in 1988, he took up work with the Attorney
Generals Office as a State Solicitor. It was also the same year he was
admitted to the bar in Samoa. From 1989 to 1996, he lectured at the
National University of Samoa in Contract Law, Company Law and
Commercial Law.
In 1989, he was appointed as a Secretary for Justice, a post he held
until 1996 when he entered politics and won the Anoama'a West seat in
the general elections that year. Under the late PM Tofilau Eti Alesana,
Tuala was made Minister for Lands, Surveys and Environment.
In 1998 to 2001 under Tuilaepa, other Ministries were added to Tuala’s
portfolio. These included the Samoa Land Corporation (SLC), Samoa Trust
Estate Corporation |
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Tagaloa Tuala Sale Tagaloa being sworn in as President of the
Lands and Title Court; ceremony witnessed by the Head of State
and Members of the Council of Deputies. (Photo: Lagi Keresoma)
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Samoa’s Head of State, his Highness Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili
II and Tagaloa Tuala Sale Tagaloa signing the oath as President
of the Lands and Title Court. (Photo: Lagi Keresoma) |
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Tagaloa Tuala Sale Tagaloa with wife Maria, Chief Justice
Tiava’asue Falefatu Patu and wife Iliganoa Sapolu, and Sarah
Telefoni after the swearing in.
(Photo: Lagi Keresoma) |
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(STEC) and Samoa Visitors Bureau.
These responsibilities he held until 2001.
Tuala was again elected by the district for another term in Parliament after the
General Election that year. He was given the portfolio of the Minister for
Natural Resources & Environment Samoa Land Corp and Samoa Trust Estate Corp.
At international conferences and meetings he attended, he was widely regarded by
outside officials as one of the Pacific’s brightest leaders, gaining the respect
of his peers for his diligence.
Tuala was a Member of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment
Programme in 1997-2003. He was one of the active leaders in the Ministerial
consultations on Climate Change. He had chaired many conferences and meetings
such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South
Africa in 2002. Last year, Tagaloa was nominated by Samoa to the position of
Secretary General to the South Pacific Forum however he was defeated in a vote
by Australian Greg Urwin.
In January, 2004 he resigned from parliament and accepted an appointment to be
president of the Lands and Titles Court.
Tuala is heavily involved with church as well. In New Zealand, he was appointed
one of the Elders of the St. Paul’s Trinity Pacific Presbyterian Church in
Christchurch from 1981-1988. In Samoa, he is a deacon of the Congregational
Church of Samoa, both at his village of Saoluafata and the Apia Protestant
Church.
Tuala’s swearing in ceremony was witnessed by His Highness, the Head of State,
Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II, Members of the Council of Deputies, Cabinet
Ministers, Government Officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps, close friends
and family.
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Copyright Event Polynesia Ltd.
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