The late former President and Tui Vuda, Ratu Josefa Iloilo was farewelled in a historic state funeral in Viseisei earlier today.

Thousands of people from all walks of life attended the church service and entombment ceremony in Vuda, with masi and black cloth covering the chiefly village grounds.

The late Tui Vuda was also accorded the highest military honor, the 21 gun salute, during the ceremony.

Ratu Josefa Iloilo who was born on the 29th of December, 1920, was the President of Fiji from 2000 until 2009.

During the church service, the Taukei Sawaieke, Ratu Tevita Momoedonu said Taveuni’s loss became Vuda’s gain when Ratu Iloilo left Taveuni to lead the people of Vuda.

While delivering the eulogy, Ratu Tevita revealed that the Tui Taveuni and his chiefly Nasuva clan rejected the traditional request twice for Ratu Iloilo’s release from Taveuni.

Ratu Iloilo was born and bred in Taveuni and it was not until he was 61 years old that he joined his father’s people in Vuda.

Ratu Iloilo’s mother, Adi Melania Ciba was installed as the Tui Taveuni when he was nine years old while his father became the Tui Vuda when he was 16.
 
Fiji has lost one of its greatest mentors of all times, in Government, in the Church and the Vanua of Vuda.

Those were the words of Education Minister Filipe Bole while presenting the eulogy on behalf of Government at Ratu Josefa Iloilo’s funeral service.

Bole said the late Tui Vuda has left behind a lot of teachings and one that he always stressed is for us to always be obedient.

He said according to the late Tui Vuda, being obedient will help us to achieve greater things in life, provided we care for one another.

Bole added that Ratu Iloilo was one who upheld the People’s Charter and adhered to it for the betterment of the people of Fiji.

He said this was evident while Ratu Iloilo was in office as the President of Fiji and led the country in one of its most difficult times.

Taukei Navo, Ratu Meli Saukuru spoke on behalf of the Ba Provincial Council and said that they thanked the Government and the three confederacies of Kubuna, Burebasaga and Tovata for the support they showed to the Tui Vuda, while he was President of Fiji.

The eulogy from the representative of the Tui Cakau, from which Ratu Iloilo’s mother hails from, thanked the Vanua of Vuda for the service and dedication that the late Tui Vuda showed for the many years that he served Fiji.
 
Love for one another, community togetherness with a united mind to building Fiji is the legacy the former President and Tui Vuda, the late Ratu Josefa Iloilo wanted Fijians to build on.

Those were the words of Ratu Iloilo’s wife, Adi Kavunono Uluivuda.

She said Ratu Iloilo was a loving man who carried the nation in his heart.

Adi Kavunono said we have to come together and if there is something the late Tui Vuda wants to leave us with, it is to love each other and work together, come together and build Fiji for the betterment of the nation.

She said thousands that converged at Viseisei village including people that lined the streets from Suva to Vuda signified the loving nature of the late chief.

Adi Kavunono said on her way from Suva to Vuda, she was touched when she saw the students and the people lined up on the streets with their flowers.

She said Ratu Iloilo was a loving person, a devoted father and a caring husband, full of good thoughts and no bad thoughts at all.

We end our coverage of the state funeral with two significant quotes from Ratu Iloilo.

In his traditional speech opening Parliament on 1 August, 2005 Ratu Josefa Iloilo told the parliamentarians that they must carefully examine their conscience on the deliberation of sensitive issues and not be swayed by racial remarks which had been a common and unfortunate hallmark of debate in Parliament.

And in an opening address to the Great Council of Chiefs on 27th July 2005, Ratu Josefa told his fellow chiefs that they needed to adapt to the modern era, or else risk "simply becoming decorations."
 
The new Tui Vuda will be installed tomorrow.

Our reporter, Tokasa Rainima with this report from Viseisei.