Asiata Lagolago Explained

Asiata Lagolago
Office1:Minister for Agriculture
Term1:1961–1964
Predecessor1:Tualaulelei Mauri
Successor1:Laufili Time
Office2:Member of the Legislative Assembly
Term2:1957–1973
Successor2:Asiata Iakopo
Constituency2:Satupa'itea
Birth Date:5 June 1914[1]
Death Date:1973 (aged 58)

Afioga Asiata Lagolago (5 June 1914 – 1973) was a Western Samoan politician. He served as Minister for Agriculture between 1961 and 1964, and as a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1957 until his death in early 1973.

Biography

Lagolago worked as a teacher between 1934 and 1942.[2] He became a businessman, running a bus company and later cocoa and coconut plantations on Vaega.[3]

After being conferred with the Asiata title in 1956,[1] he was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1957.[2] He participated in the 1960 Constitutional Assembly and was one of the signatories of the constitution. After being re-elected in 1961 he was appointed Minister for Agriculture by Prime Minister Fiame Mata'afa.[4] Although he retained his seat in the 1964 elections, he was replaced as Minister of Agriculture by Laufili Time.[5] He subsequently chaired the Bills Committee and Public Accounts Committee,[2] and was re-elected in 1967 and 1970.[6]

Lagolago died shortly before the 1973 elections.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Lauofo Meti (2002) Samoa: The Making of the Constitution, National University of Samoa, p327
  2. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-336955580/view?partId=nla.obj-336998194#page/n130/mode/1up A. Lagolago
  3. J. Tim O'Meara (1990) Samoan Planters: Tradition and Economic Development in Polynesia, p50
  4. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-322674443/view?partId=nla.obj-323244975#page/n21/mode/1up Samoa Picks A "Vital" Cabinet
  5. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-370528117/view?partId=nla.obj-370623718#page/n14/mode/1up Wide Support for Mataafa In First Samoan Elections
  6. http://devpolicy.org/samoaelections/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Samoan-Election-Results-PDF.pdf Samoan election results by constituency 1964–2016
  7. Ata Ma'Ia'I (1974) "Western Samoa's General Election 1973", The Journal of Pacific History, Vol. 9, pp146–152