Tapunuu Niko Lee Hang

Tapunuu Niko Lee Hang (1953/1954[1] – 29 November 2022)[2] was a Samoan politician and Cabinet Minister. He was a member of the Human Rights Protection Party.

Tapunuu Niko Lee Hang
Hang in 2019
Minister of Works Transport and Infrastructure
In office
18 March 2016 – 24 May 2021
Prime MinisterTuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi
Preceded byManu'alesagalala Enokati Posala
Succeeded byOlo Fiti Vaai
Minister of Finance
In office
24 April 2006 – 21 March 2011
Preceded byMisa Telefoni Retzlaff
Succeeded byFaumuina Tiatia Liuga
Member of the Samoa Parliament
for Vaimauga No. 3
In office
9 April 2021 – 29 November 2022
Preceded bynone (constituency created)
Succeeded byTBA
Member of the Samoa Parliament
for Urban East
In office
4 March 2016 – 9 April 2021
Preceded bynone (constituency created)
Member of the Samoa Parliament
for Individual Voters
In office
18 December 2001 – 4 March 2016
Preceded byChan Chui Van Sung
Succeeded bynone (constituency abolished)
Personal details
Born1953/1954
Died29 November 2022 (aged 68)
Motoʻotua, Samoa
Political partyHuman Rights Protection Party

Hang was an accountant by profession and a former Public Trustee.[1] He was educated at Waikato University in New Zealand and the University of New England in Australia.[1] He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa as one of two parliamentary representatives reserved for Individual Voters in a by-election in December 2001. In January 2002 he was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary to Minister of Justice.[3] In 2004 he was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary to minister of Revenue. He was re-elected at the 2006 election and appointed Minister of Finance.[4] He was re-elected again in the 2011 election, but replaced as Finance Minister by Faumuina Tiatia Liuga.[5] From 2012 to 2014 Hang opposed plans to replace the individual voter seats with two urban seats.[6][7]

After serving a term as a backbencher, he was re-appointed to Cabinet following the 2016 election as Minister of Works Transport and Infrastructure.[8][9] In September 2018 he claimed that the chief executive of the Ministry of Works, Afamasaga Su’a Pou Onesemo, had been fired for poor management.[10] He retracted the claim two days later.[11]

Following the abolition of his urban voters seat he contested the new seat of Vaimauga No. 3 in the 2021 Samoan general election and was re-elected.[12]

Tapunuu died at Tupua Tamasese Meaole National Hospital in Motoʻotua on 29 November 2022, at the age of 68.[2]

References
  1. Lanuola Tusani Tupufia (10 April 2016). "Minister vows for truth and justice". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  2. Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (29 November 2022). "M.P. for Vaimauga No. 3 passes away". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  3. "LEE HANG Niko". Parliament of Samoa. Archived from the original on 24 August 2007.
  4. "Five new faces in new Samoa cabinet". RNZ. 24 April 2006. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  5. "Former opposition leader in Samoa joins new ruling party cabinet". RNZ. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  6. "Two Samoan MPs strongly opposed to plans to replace their individual voters' seats". RNZ. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  7. "Samoa MPs Express Opposition To Constitutional Changes". Pacific Islands Report. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  8. "Many New Faces in Samoa Cabinet". Talanei. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  9. "Former Samoa deputy PM left out of cabinet". RNZ. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  10. Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu (19 September 2018). "P.S.C. terminates services of Public Works C.E.O." Samoa Observer. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  11. Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu (21 September 2018). ""I was wrong," Minister admits error in reading of Public Works C.E.O. decision". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  12. Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (20 April 2021). "Vaimauga candidate considers petition". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
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