The State funeral for former President and Na Gone Turaga mai Naisogolaca, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, will be held next Friday, 17th April.
The funeral service will be held at Albert Park in Suva at 8.30am before Ratu Epeli's body is laid to rest at the Sau Tabu on Bau Island.
Permanent Secretary for Defence and Veterans Affairs Mason Smith says the i-reguregu for Ratu Epeli will be held from next Monday to Wednesday at State House, and those provinces, districts or church groups wishing to present their i-reguregu will need to make arrangements with the Permanent Secretary for iTaukei Affairs.
People can contact Alipate Natoba on 7751951 and Nemani Tarotaro on 9387367 to register their groups for the i-reguregu.
He says they will be given a slot for the day and time to present their i-reguregu.
He adds that the maximum time given for each group will be 30 to 45 minutes.
Smith says on their allocated date and time, groups will assemble at the rara at the GCC complex and will be taken to Coronation Park where the i-reguregu will be held.
He says the Vanua of Kubuna will lead the i-reguregu protocols, supported by the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs.
He further says that as soon as the ireguregu presentation is over, groups will be taken to a tent for refreshments before exiting State House.
The Permanent Secretary says on Thursday, 16th April at 6am, the RFMF and the ceremonial catafalque party will escort the casket from the morgue into the city and then to State House.
He says at State House, the catafalque will be ready, and the party made up of RFMF officers will take post.
He also says there will be a vigil over the body from that time until the morning of Friday, 17th April.
For those who wish to say their last goodbyes but cannot make it to State House or Albert Park, the Permanent Secretary says they can wait along the streets to farewell Ratu Epeli.
Meanwhile, Ratu Epeli passed away on Sunday, 26th March at the hospital.
He was also a former Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and former Speaker of Parliament.
Ratu Epeli was a highly respected Fijian chief and a people’s President, remembered for often walking the streets of Suva and mingling with the public during his time as Head of State.
He served as President of Fiji from 2009 to 2015.
Ratu Epeli was the great-great-grandson of Ratu Seru Cakobau.
He was also a grandson of King George Tupou II of Tonga.
His father was Ratu Sir Edward Cakobau, a former Deputy Prime Minister in the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara-led government.
Ratu Epeli Nailatikau was married to Adi Koila Mara, the daughter of Fiji’s long-time Prime Minister and later President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.
He rose through the ranks to become Commander of the Royal Fiji Military Forces and held the position during Sitiveni Rabuka’s 1987 coup.
He later served as Fiji’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Following the 2000 coup, he was appointed Interim Deputy Prime Minister.
In the interim government formed after the 2006 coup, he served as Interim Minister for Foreign Affairs, Provincial Development, and Indigenous Affairs.
He was formally sworn in as President of Fiji on 5th November 2009.
He was known for walking the streets of Suva unaccompanied by bodyguards, often lining up at ATMs and eating at food courts, always with a warm smile and greeting.
Ratu Epeli was also a dedicated advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness as the UNAIDS Special Representative for the Pacific, speaking openly about sensitive issues such as safe sex and condom use to combat the epidemic.
