transitions

Appointed: Registrar of the University of the South Pacific, Mr Philip Rama.

Mr Rama’s appointment takes effect from May 11 when he returns from overseas leave.

He is currently deputy registrar, a post he has held since 1981.

Mr Rama, 45, from Rakiraki, Fiji, received his primary and secondary education in Suva before joining the Fiji Posts and Telecommunications Depart ment in 1957.

In 1960 he joined the De partment of Agriculture where he became executive officer before leaving, in 1966, for tertiary studies at the University of Auckland. He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honours, in 1972.

He returned to Fiji in 1973 to become assistant secretary in the prime minister’s depart ment, joining USP as assistant registrar (staffing) the following year.

He has since been assistant registrar (academic) and senior assistant registrar (1978).

Mr Rama was also responsi ble for the university’s Western Samoan campus before be coming deputy registrar.

He has also served with the Fiji Infantry Regiment Territorial Forces (1963-65) and was attached to the New Zealand Infantry Regiment in Papkura in 1965-66.

Appointed: Pacific island dele gates to the US House of Representatives did well when new committee assignments were handed out in January.

Ben Blaz, Republican, of Guam, was named to the pre stigious Foreign Affairs Com mittee, a first for a non-voting delegate. Gen. Blaz added this assignment to existing ones: the Armed Services Committee and the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee.

It is highly unusual for any member, much less one with out a vote on the floor of the House, to serve on three com mittees. (Delegates, like Gen Blaz, do vote in committee).

Meanwhile, Fofo Sunia, Democrat, of American Samoa, secured a sub-committee chairmanship. This too is un

usual because it is a committee which does not relate to island matters the Sub-committee on Public Buildings of the House Committee on Public Works.

It has jurisdiction over federal buildings ranging from the White House and the Capitol to thousands of humble post offices.

The former Insular Affiars Sub-committee of the House Committee on Interior and In sular Affairs is likely to be revived.

Once led by the late Con gressman Phil Burton, a major mover and shaker in the terri tories, and more recently by the former Guam delegate, Won Pat (defeated in 1984 by Gen Blaz), the new sub-committee would be headed by Ron de Lugo, Democrat of the Virgin Islands. (In the US Congress much of the important work is done by sub-committees and committees; members of the minority party, such as Gen Blaz, do not become committee chairs.) Appointed: Sales manager for Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia of Emery Worldwide air freight company, Mr Herbert Brenner.

He replaces Mr Nick Gurney who has returned to the United States.

Expanding: Honolulu law firm, Reinwald O’Connor and Mar rack. The company is expan

ding its activities in Micronesia and the Western Pacific by affiliation with Honolulu attor ney, George Allen, former head of the Honolulu office of the New York-based legal firm, Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft.

Mr Allen, 45, became coun sel to Reinwald O’Connor and Marrack in January.

Mr Allen spent five years in the Marshall Islands before moving to Hawaii. While in the Marshalls, he led litigation and negotiation efforts on behalf of the radiation victims at Bikini Atoll and also represented land owners at Kwajalein.

He also acts for the owners of 5,000 acres used as military bases on Guam.

Appointed: To New Zealand’s Pacific Island Employment De velopment Board, Fatafehi Tuionetoa Fale and Mrs Mele moka Maka.

Mr Fale, bom and educated in Tonga where he trained as a teacher, has lived in New Zea land for 14 years.

He has been general mana ger of Tonga Enterprises, an Auckland-based importing and travel concern.

He has also written Bible commentaries for young Ton gans.

Mrs Maka, a Nuiean who has lived in New Zealand since 1953, is a mother of six and has wide involvement in commun ity activities through the Niue

Advisory Council, Auckland’s Pacific Island Educational Re source Centre and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

The other board members are Mrs Kathleen Kauti (Cook Islands), Mr Jack Shaw (Fiji), Mr Aleki Siloa (Tokelau) and Hon Richard Prebble, who, as minister, is chairman.

Returned: To New Zealand, former head of the Cook Is lands Treasury Department, Mr Paul Drury after seven years with the department.

He began work with the treasury in 1980 and became financial secretary in 1982. Mr Drury, 36, said he felt it was time to return to New Zealand to pursue his long-term career.

Re-assigned: Three senior Solomon Islands civil servants Mr Francis Saemala, Mr John Rofeta and Mr Daniel Buto.

Mr Saemala, former ambas sador to the UN, is the new secretary to the Cabinet and Prime Minister’s Office.

Mr Rofeta, who was perma nent secretary at the Ministry of Economic Planning before going on study leave last year, becomes Permanent Secretary of Finance.

Mr Buto, the former secretary to Cabinet and the Prime Minis ter’s Office, is the new perma nent secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Works and Utilities.

He replaces Mr Brown Saua, who resigned from the public service on December 31.