The 21-Gun Salute shook the village of Veseisei in Vuda but was soon drowned by the National Anthem as members of the Natububera clan carried the casket of the late Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu to Burenivalu, where he now lies silently amongst his ancestors.
Thousands of people including high chiefs from the 14 provinces stood in silence as the 21 cannon rounds burst into the air; it was the ultimate tribute and traditional military honour for a departed son of Fiji.
Born on December 29, 1920, Iloilo was the President of Fiji from 2000 to 2009. He died at the ripe old age of 90 on February 6.
He was Vice-President when the Government of Mahendra Chaudhry was overthrown in a civilian coup led by George Speight in May 2000.
Iloilo was sworn in as the President after the military took power in July 2000 but was deposed in December 2006 in a coup led by Commodore Frank Voreqe Bainimarama. When the Court of Appeal ruled in 2009 that the Interim Government was illegal, Ratu Iloilo abrogated the constitution, sacked the judges and reinstated Mr Bainimarama as Prime Minister.
He retired in August 2009.
The vivid journey led by the Fiji Military Forces from the Suva Private Hospital to the Government House where Iloilo lay in state was televised nationwide.
On February 16, villagers gathered along the Queens Highway to catch a glimpse of the chiefly hearse.
Since Valentine ‘s Day, Veseisei, where the first Fijians settled around 1500 BC, was accepting thousands of people who arrived from across the nation to pay their final respect to Iloilo.
President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau and Bainimarama led the funeral services. After a short traditional ceremony, the body of the departed leader was handed over to the ‘liga tabu’ of Vuda for entombment.
Iloilo will be best remembered as a natural leader who stepped to the plate in the country’s hour of need.
By arrangement with The Jet (Community Newspaper)
