Letter to the Editor: Why the Entire Board of Lakapi Samoa need to Resign Immediately

2026-03-06 - 21:08

Letter to the Editor by Tuala-Victor T Washburn-Tayan aka FBI. First posted December 2025. WHY THE ENTIRE BOARD OF LAKAPI SAMOA NEED TO RESIGN IMMEDIATELY. Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa’s insistence on robust financial auditing for the $50 million Lakapi Samoa grant is an essential act of statecraft, fully aligned with bilateral aid agreements and the national imperative to combat corruption. This stands in stark contrast to the Opposition Leader Tuilaepa’s position, which exploits his chairmanship of the recipient organization to create a constitutional-level crisis over a purely fiscal matter. The systematic use of the Samoa Observer to disseminate high-volume, politically damaging narratives confirms a highly coordinated media strategy aimed at manufacturing instability and delegitimizing the FAST mandate. The primary political implication is that as long as the Opposition Leader retains simultaneous control of a major aid-recipient national body, conflicts of interest will continue to arise, forcing the government into a defensive posture against politically motivated obstruction, even when exercising standard fiduciary oversight. KIGA GA ILOA E KUILAEPA E SESE I SIGI A GA LAPISI MA KULAGA LE FAAMAOGI LAE PESE MAI AI LAGA FAKI, AE AKILI AI LE FAAMAUALUGA MA FAAMAKO OLE LOKO O LEALELO....UA MAGAKU A KUILAEPA O SE BOARD MA SE LAKAPI A LOGA AIGA LE MEA KUFAGUA FAASAUSILI...KIGA GA KUMU LE LOKO ILE AGASALA A’O LE FAGAU AIVALEA EA SE’I FAUKUA...BUT NO UA OLA LAVA GEI KSMAIKI KAEA MA LE CONDITION GA FAFAGA I AI E LAKOU MAKUA...GA’O LAKOU LAVA E PULE ILE MALO SAMOA MA NEW YORK MA BRUSSELS AUUUUUUUU.....KAOGA ESE IA MA LE PALEMENE MA O E FAI GI KOU MA’UMAGA KOU MEA MAKAGAGA LIMA LALA’U ZZZZZZZ The resolution requires the severance of this ethical overlap to allow national development and athletic ambition to proceed unhindered by partisan conflict. When examining the tactics of an opposition leader who consistently uses a position of influence, such as the chairmanship of a national sporting body, to obstruct the legitimate, elected government and leverage media as a personal propaganda tool, ... ...In the words of Jesus , thats Me, when I was alive, before Rome and Jews crucified me.....Annnnyway, I spoke directly to the religious establishment of the day—the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law—are profoundly resonant. First. The Condemnation of Hypocrisy and Obstructive Leadership Jesus, Me again – reserves some of his sharpest criticism for those who create burdens for others while refusing to bear them themselves—a clear analogy for using influence to block essential national development for political gain. As Matthew 23 verse 3 attest. quote. “So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” end quote. This verse perfectly captures the dynamic at play in the Lakapi Samoa funding standoff. The Leader of the Opposition, while outwardly proclaiming his dedication to Samoan rugby, is effectively tying up a heavy, $50 million financial load and placing it onto the shoulders of the nation’s athletes, the government, and the union itself. He refuses to “lift a proverbial finger” to sign the accountability agreement—a necessary requirement for the funds’ secure use—because his personal political agenda is paramount. The former Prime Minister preaches- and I quote- “governance” and “accountability in sports” (as his letters claim) but utterly fails to practice the fundamental duty of transparency when $50 million of Australian taxpayer money is at stake. Second. The Exposure of Outward Righteousness Masking Inward Wickedness The second core issue is the constant, calculated use of the press—three letters of opinion, on average, a week—to project an image of righteous opposition while pursuing disruptive ends. Jesus , Yes, thats Me again Helloooo....addresses the ultimate deceit: maintaining a spotless, public exterior to conceal a corrupt interior. Let that sin in. Ua Le tutusa faaalinga o le Tino, ma mea i totonu o le Loto. Again our Tax collector, Matthew 23, verse 28 – I quote – “In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”end quote. (Thanks Matthew, as if samoa needed that, but I digress. ) So Samoa, this verse is a precise surgical strike against the strategy of manufacturing a public persona. The Leader of the Opposition attempts to appear as the noble defender of sporting independence, painting the FAST Prime Minister, Laaulialemalietoa, as the corrupt intervener. Yet, the underlying truth is revealed by his actions: he is utilizing a national sporting chairmanship—a position he has held for decades—to maintain a political foothold and undermine the mandate of the current, democratically elected government. The outward projection is a letter defending sport; the inward motive, however, is political warfare and the retention of power, or at least influence, over a massive public fund. In a nutshell, Sailele Veni Mailengaoi, in his world. He is the Prime Minister of Lakapi samoa. And his Cabinet is the Lakapi Board. He has been the Top Dog for twenty years. I guess he is trying to reach the coveted number 23 years when he was actually Palemimi. Before he hangs his boots. So that when Oscars kids grow up to be like Oscar, their Grand papa will remind them of how he was the Prime Minister of Samoa and Prime Minister of Lakapi Samoa longer than anyone, or longer than the roads from Lepa to Apia. But I digress. Poor Grandkids. These biblical passages speak to a universal truth: the truth is....” leader’s true character is not revealed by the titles they hold or the speeches they give weekly to a Propaganda News paper like the Observer. But , however, by the integrity – they display when their own power – or privilege – is challenged...!! Thank you Samoa for listening, and thank you Australia tax Payers for footing the bill, to the benefit of Samoa. And remember. Knock and it shall be opened ye Shall enter. Seek and ye shall find. And Believe, and Ye shall enter the Kingdom, already in You, Your Temple. God Bless. Ieshua Lord Christos [Kyrie Eleison] & Taulapapa Le-Alo Ale Malietoa FBI ale FAST...