Sukanaivalu Remembered By Niece as a Man of Discipline
People who knew my uncle, Netani Sukanaivalu didn’t mess around with him, says Lavonne Thaggard
Ms Thaggard is the niece of Mr Sukanaivalu who had passed away on Tuesday last week at his home in Suva.
Mr Sukanaivalu was a former lecturer at the Fiji Institute of Technology, a businessman and a reserve officer in the Fijian Navy holding the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for the National Alliance Party in the 2006 parliamentary election. He was Fiji’s Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources in the interim Government which followed the take over of 2006.
He resigned from Government in February 2011
Despite not having a proper primary and secondary education, he remarkably achieved an outstanding academic level at the World Maritime University of Sweden, Sydney Institute of Technology and Fiji Institute of Technology.
He attained a Master of Science Degree in Sweden and was the first local student to be a chief engineer of Maritime Studies.
He was an experienced managing director within the maritime industry and at Horeb Engineering Company Limited. Originally from Nukuni Village with maternal link to Lovoni Village in Ono-ILau, Mr Sukanaivalu had lost his wife a few years ago and lives with his children in Suva.
His niece, Ms Thaggard, who now lives in New Zealand, described him as a strict hardworker.
“We don’t mess around with him. He is a strict person when it comes to education,” she said
“When my mother told me about his death, I felt so sad because my uncle was the one who encouraged me to excel in everything I do.”
Mr Sukanaivalu’s son, Etuate, who lives in Port Moresby, said his father, 76, had died after a long illness. Mr Sukanaivalu is survived by his five children, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He will be accorded a military burial today at the Vatuwaqa Cemetery.