One of Bougainville’s most prominent leaders has passed away at his home at Petisuun Notukou hamlet in Gagan village of Peit Constituency, Buka.
A politician, a Clan Chief and a father, grandfather and an uncle to many, the late Sir Alexis Holyweek Sarei peacefully passed away in his home on Monday morning at 8:45am after being ill for some time at the age of 80. Late Dr Sarei was the first district commissioner of North Solomon’s from 1973 to 1975. He was also the first Premier of the then North Solomon’s Provincial Government from 1976 to 1980 then again from 1984 to 1987, and also served as Papua New Guinea’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom. Born on March 25, 1934 to father late Joseph Nambong and Joanna Mota, the late Sir Alexis attended primary and tertiary schooling from 1949 to 1966 in Bougainville and then attended Rome University in 1968 to 1971 attaining a PhD in Canon Law. A former Catholic Priest from 1966-1972, in which then he met and married his American wife Claire Dionne in 1972 and then that same year he also became the Secretary to the Chief Minister, from 1972-1973, then as District Commissioner from 1973 to 1975. From that year up till 1976 he then became president of the secessionist Republic of North Solomons and then from 1976 to 1980 he became the pioneer Premier for North Solomons Provincial Government and as an advisor to the Bougainville people. He was later knighted. In 2000, Sir Alexis and other Bougainvilleans filed a lawsuit against mining giant, Rio Tinto PLC and Rio Tinto Limited for human rights abuse in the United States of America under the ‘Alien Tort Claims Act 28 U.S.C’ in which the case was struck out in favor of the mining giant in 2013. He then contested for the ABG Elections for the Second House and was elected the Member for Peit Constituency. Other distinguished services also saw him being awarded the PNG Independence Medal, CBE in 1977 for work in provincial government, pioneering work in the system in PNG. He is survived by his many adopted children who have spent their entire life with a man who was a living saint of the people of the Hanatei Soing. He was man of wisdom and had a vision for his people not only in the Peit Constituency but the whole of Bougainville and he wrote and published a book called, “The Practice of Marriage among the Solos, Buka Island, 1971’. The late Sir Alexis Sarei’s wife passed away in 2011 and his health has deteriorated over the years until on Monday morning when he passed away. The body is currently at the Buka General Hospital morgue awaiting his friends and relatives and the arrangements of the ABG for his funeral. PNGfacts/Post Courier Comments are closed.
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