By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
Former Cabinet Minister, Tuisuga Sofara Aveau, is hoping to make a comeback to politics after sitting out the last Parliament with the shock loss of his Vaimauga No. 1 seat in the 2016 general election.
The 68-year-old veteran of 3-consecutive terms as a Minister of Cabinet is not ready to back down from the challenge of fighting his way back.
Tuisuga showed himself to be a working Minister in the 15–straight years he served in 4-separate Cabinet portfolio.
His political career took off on a top note when he was appointed Minister of Agriculture in his first elected term in Parliament.
Halfway through his 5-year term he was re-assigned to take over as Minister of Environment when the holder of the portfolio resigned to join the Judiciary.
Tuisuga inherited the Minister of Works Cabinet portfolio when elected for a second term and Minister of Communications on his third.
His drive and determination as a working Cabinet Minister stands out in many of the national landmark developments that ended with considerable benefit to Samoa.
The most notable is firstly the switch to the right hand side of the road while serving as Minister of Works.
But Tuisuga needed all his stubborn resolve and determination to stand firm to the unexpectedly huge opposition to the road switch.
The Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, speaks often of the sweet rewards the country is now reaping from making the change.
Many of the families are now able to afford up to a least two cars.
Samoa has a major online communications network made possible by the Tui-Samoa submarine cable Tuisuga as Minister of Communications slaved to make possible.
Fast and ready access to international communications has a huge telling influence on many national developments especially in key areas of education and health.
But every good thing has to end some day and for Tuisuga it happened when he expectedly lost his Parliament seat in the 2016 election.
After sitting out the last 5 years he is again making another tilt at winning his seat back.
He has two other candidates, including the holder of the seat, in the run for Parliament.
The biggest question that was put bluntly to the former Minister by his constituency leaders in his attempts at a comeback is why he wanted to continue in politics after he has already contributed so much to it.
“ I believe I have a lot of work still left in me that I know I can do and Lord willing am ready to get stuck into it,” Tuisuga offered with his usual firm resolve and commitment.
His last 5-years away from politics is a blessing in disguise he believed has widen his perspectives as a person who is able to look from the outside to the inside and see new ways to improve going forward.
He was, however, far from idle by becoming a driving force in the revival of the banana export industry and in setting up a growers association.
He also concentrated in co-ordinating the construction of a new school building for his home village school at Fagali’i at the cost of about half a million tala.
Japan assistance funded about half the costs and Fagali’i village raised the rest.
His two-storey home was partly destroyed by a house fire on the top floor and it was after he had organised the repair work, that he took himself to hospital.
The diagnosis was serious when Tuisuga that his stomach cancer had recurred after specialised treatment earlier in New Zealand.
“ I spend 4-months undergoing successful cancer treatment in New Zealand and was a healthy lad when I returned to Samoa.
“I’m not sure if it was the mixing of spraying chemicals for our banana growing members or cement dust and paint fumes while keeping an eye on the construction of our School building that caused the cancer to come back.”
He was scheduled to return to New Zealand for treatment but there were issues with the border closedowns.
Tuisuga ended up trusting in the skills of four local doctors, one of them a woman and the other a male Chinese specialist, to undertake the major surgery to remove the cancer.
“ I am up and running again as my strength continues to return and looking forward to the election challenge.”
The fighting former Cabinet Minister believes that as long as you are sincere and willing to raise your hand to serve Samoa, God will do the rest.
“Samoa is not a big or rich country and we all need to stand up and raise our hands to show that you are ready to take up the calling to do the best that you are capable of.”
Tuisuga holds a Master’s degree in Agriculture and was in his comfort zone when he took charge of the Agriculture and Environment portfolios.
He admitted that he was no engineer or a communications expert when he was appointed Minister of Works and later Communications.
But he worked and called at the same time for the help of God.