CLOSE families, friends, academics, and cabinet ministers gathered to pay their respects at the late Dr Tupeni Lebaivalu Baba’s funeral service that was held at Nadaro village in Tailevu today.
Delivering a eulogy on behalf of the Fiji Government, Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications Hon Manoa Kamikamica shared that Dr. Baba was a man of valour, courage, integrity and influence who went above and beyond to progress the nation of Fiji.
Highlighting Dr. Baba's pioneering role in academia, DPM Kamikamica shared that Dr Baba was a pioneer academic of the Indigenous Fijian people.
“In the early seventies, he graduated with a Bachelor and then Master of Arts in Education from the University of Sydney. After lecturing in Education at the University of the South Pacific he returned to Sydney and completed his PHD in Education at Macquarie University.”
“He broke barriers and shattered glass ceilings when he became the first citizen of the South Pacific region to be Professor of Education as well as head of the department of education and psychology at USP.”
“His legacy in education lives on in the students that he mentored - many of whom are now teachers and academics in their own right and this is perhaps what Stephen Hawking meant when he said “If you look behind every exceptional person there is an exceptional teacher.”
DPM Kamikamica highlighted that Dr. Baba's contributions extended beyond academia recalling his pivotal role in 1979 when he was appointed by the University of the South Pacific Council to be a member of the Tenth Anniversary Review, a team of eight led by Sir Hugh Springer to commission a report.
“His group toured half of the Pacific including Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Nauru and was tasked to speak to Governments, USP graduates on the performance of the University of the South Pacific performance He contributed extensively to the summary and draft report which became the 1979 Springer report. This report charted the direction of the University of the South Pacific in the next 20 years.”
DPM Kamikamica added to associate a politician as a fair, principled and honest man is perhaps uncommon and yet that is exactly how Dr. Tupeni Baba has been described.
“Perhaps a mark of his faith in what Fiji could be was in the way he served and placed duty above all else, always calling for progress and change, always calling us to be better - to do better.”
“His commitment to improving Fiji's educational system encouraged many people to pursue greatness while respecting their cultural background. His tenacity in the face of difficulties and his unwavering dedication to improving society has left a lasting impression in Fiji and the Pacific.”
Dr Tupeni Baba passed away at the age of 82 and he is survived by his wife Professor Dr. Unaisi Nabobo-Baba and his children.