Late former Deputy PM Professor Tupeni Baba passes away

The late former Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Tupeni Baba has passed away. 

University of Fiji Vice Chancellor, Professor Shaista Shameem says not only was Professor Baba the University's senior-most Professor of Education and Dean of the School of Humanities and Arts, he was also an accomplished scholar, humanitarian and generous colleague.

She says Professor Baba had been a statesman holding ministerial positions as both Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education in past governments and was honoured by all communities in Fiji as a courageous parliamentarian and a true gentleman.

Professor Shameem says Professor Baba had been a Professor at the University of Fiji since 2017.

She says in company with other eminent professors over an eight year period, Professor Baba provided intellectual leadership to his students and, indeed, to the entire University.

Professor Shameem says Professor Baba was kind, good humoured and generous with his time.

She says his students loved him and his faculty admired his resilience and his constant admonition to them all that 'the curriculum was dead'.

Professor Shameem says certainly the higher authorities sometimes found him difficult to understand so deep was his capacity to express strong feelings about the state of education in Fiji. 

She adds the University has lost a great academic, and the nation a deep intellectual - and they will miss him.

She expresses her heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Professor Baba's dear wife, and their colleague, the Vice Chancellor of the Fiji National University, Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba, and to Professor Baba's family. 

Professor Baba had served as a cabinet minister in the government of Doctor Timoci Bavadra until removed from office by the 1987 coups, and then was one of the two Deputy Prime Ministers in the government of Mahendra Chaudhry until they were removed from office by the 2000 coup.

He had founded the New Labour Unity Party to contest the 2001 election, but failed to win a seat in Parliament.

He contested the 2006 election under the former Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua, and again at the 2014 election as part of SODELPA, however he could not make it into Parliament.