The Associate Minister for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Vaele Pa’iaaua Iona Sekuini, has passed away. 

He was 57-years-old. 

The Member of Parliament for Gagaifomauga No. 2, and the father of five from the village of Matavai Safune died unexpectedly on Friday morning, a Member of Parliament for the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) party confirmed. 

The Samoa Observer's source declined to reveal any further details. Attempts are also being made to obtain a comment from his family. 

Vaele was recently appointed as the Chairman of the Parliament Finance and Expenditure Committee following the F.A.S.T. administration taking over office. 

The first time Parliamentarian was elected into office at the 2021 General Election, defeating former M.P., Sooalo Feo Mene. 

At the time, the M.P. dedicated his victory to his father, the late Paiaaua Sekuini Vaele, who passed away in 2020. 

During an interview with the Samoa Observer shortly after his victory, Vaele said his late father was there at the beginning of his preparations and he was heartbroken he couldn’t celebrate with him. 

“I still dedicate this win to him and I hope he is proud…” said the M.P. 

He is married to his wife Matimaivasa and had lived in Upolu for work and study in previous years prior to moving back to Savaii. 

Vaele returned to the village of Matavai Safune to develop his family, ran a retail store and plantation. 

He was proud of his constituency saying the villagers depended heavily on agriculture and fisheries for their daily income. 

“When I moved back (to Savai'i), I started my own plantation and I discovered that there is a lot of wealth hidden there in our soils,” he said.

 "But there are quite a few obstacles that are discouraging our people from working the land. For example, almost every household owns a plantation.

"So the chances of families earning money from selling taro or banana on the side of the roads are very low.” 

Vaele was also appointed as a member of the Special Parliamentary Committee tasked to investigate discrepancies in the Land and Titles Court Act 2020.