They say a person has as many roots as a tree.
On Saturday evening, the various branches of the family of Samoa’s Minsiter of Justice, Fiame Naomi Mataafa in American Samoa, came together with friends and associates for a dinner to wish Fiame well in her quest to return to Parliament for another five years.
Organized by Fiame’s long time friend Chande Taalolo Lutu Drabble and Fia Lobendan Afalava, one of Fiame’s relatives, the function was attended by about 50 invited guests.
The minister’s extended aiga, from both her father the first Prime Minister of Samoa, the late Fiame Mataafa Faumuina Mulinuu, and her mother the late Laulu Fetauimalemau, were present.
Fiame has served in Parliament for 31 years, and has held various ministerial portfolios among them Women, Youth and Culture, Education and now Justice.
Many see her as a future PM.
Guests were treated to a more than 30 minute speech by Fiame, and her singing and ukulele playing.
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Fiame recounted the struggles she faced when she became a matai at age 20, single and a woman, when she was first elected and largely ignored by the fathers and brothers in Parliament, being picked by then Minister of Finance and now PM Tuilaepa Sailele to be the associate minister of Finance where she learned about the importance of money in government, and how Hurricane Ofa and Val presented an opportunity for her as Education Minister to change Samoa’s system of education, to provide access to everyone from kindergarten to tertiary education.
Before that she said only the cream of the crop had access to higher education.
One of the points she stressed was for ministries or departments to make use of the staff with the knowledge and skills to implement plans for the good of the people.
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