H.E. Grand Chief Sir Bob Bofeng Dadae, Governor General of Papua New Guinea, has concluded his official visit to the Kingdom of Tonga attending celebrations marking the country’s sesquicentennial celebrations of the Act of the Constitution of Tonga.
Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae and Lady Emeline Dadae had an audience with King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u during which Grand Chief Sir Bob acknowledged the close historical ties between PNG and Tonga established when the early Tongan Missionaries brought Christianity to Papua New Guinea more than a century ago.
“In celebrating Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence anniversary this year, as a nation, we acknowledge and are indeed grateful to the immense contributions of the early Tongan missionaries who contributed to our development in training teachers, nurses, missionaries, built schools and taught our people to be industrious. They made huge sacrifices many died due to tropical diseases such as Malaria. Many Tongan residents in PNG are descendants of the early missionaries fostering the people-to-people relations between our countries,” Grand Chief Sir Bob said.
Grand Chief Sir Bob conveyed to the King PNG’s appreciation to Crown Prince Tupouto’a Ulukalala for attending the recent 50th Independence Anniversary on 16th September in Port Moresby.
Grand Chief Sir Bob also acknowledged and expressed his appreciation for “the important roles and contributions His Majesty’s Armed Forces played in the peaceful resolution of the Bougainville Crisis”.
The Governor General pledged Papua New Guinea’s commitment for closer collaboration on issues of mutual interests such as climate change, sustainable development, management of our Pacific Ocean and its resources and combating illegal fishing.
Earlier this week, the Governor General and Lady Dadae attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new Legislative Assembly building at ‘Talangaholo’, Royal Estate, Tufumahina. Grand Chief Sir Bob and Governor General of New Zealand, Rt. Hon. Dame Cindy Kiro participated in the groundbreaking ceremony with King Tupou VI.
The former Parliament Chamber used for the Legislative Assembly for 126 years, was destroyed by tropical Cyclone Gita in 2018.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, King Tupou VI stated that the site of the new Parliament building held historical significance in the reunification of Tonga and the “laws promulgated in the Va’vau Code (by King Tupou 1) to apply nationally” and set the stage for the 1875 Constitution of Tonga.
“It was from (a) trip to Sydney in 1863 that (King) Tupou 1, saw landless indigenous people that influenced him to seek protection from this ever happening to Tongans in their own country. He sought protection for Tongans being landless in their own land. That protection he believed came partly from the Constitution and laws passed for the smooth running of a responsible Parliament that is responsive to the needs of the Tongan people,” King Tupou VI said.
The Governor General and Lady Dadae also attended a Remembrance Service program during which Grand Chief Sir Bob took part in a wreath laying ceremony alongside King Tupou VI in honour of former Sovereigns of Tonga, including King Tupou 1.
The Governor General was invited by the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga to attend a week-long event of activities marking 150 years of the enactment of Tonga’s Constitution on Nov 4th, 1875 which has established Tonga as a constitutional monarchy.
The Governor General and Lady Dadae were well received by King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u, the Government and people of Tonga throughout their weeklong visit in Tonga.
The Governor General returns next week.