The Republic of Fiji Military Forces yesterday presented their i-reguregu to the vanua o Kubuna in a formal tribute to the late former President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, underscoring the military’s deep respect for a leader who began his career among the ranks. Brigadier General Manoa Gadai delivered the RFMF’s remarks, while a delegation led by Commander Ro Jone Kalouniwai attended the ceremony to convey the forces’ condolences and honour.
Brig. Gen. Gadai reflected on Ratu Epeli’s rare ability to combine the dignity of high office with an approachable manner that connected him to ordinary Fijians. “The qualities of the late Commander-in-Chief are the qualities we strive for in Delainabua,” he said, praising a leader who “moved effortlessly between authority and approachability.” Gadai also used traditional honorifics in mourning: “It saddens us that the late Na Turaga na Taukei Naisogolaca has left us.”
Those paying tribute recalled personal moments that revealed the former President’s grounding presence. Gadai said Ratu Epeli’s visits among troops often brought unity and levity, marked by shared songs and stories. “When he was amongst us, we would be singing Ko Bau Na Yanuyanu, E ra sulu kaki mai and Sisili mai Wainadoi, or laughing as he shared stories from the Middle East,” he told the gathering, illustrating how music and storytelling helped bridge social divides between chiefs, officers and ordinary servicemen.
Ratu Epeli’s connection to the military was longstanding. He served as Commander of the Royal Fiji Military Forces from 1982 to 1987 before later serving as Fiji’s President from 2009 to 2015, a career that spanned both military leadership and the highest ceremonial office in the republic. The RFMF tribute highlights how his military background continued to shape relationships with the forces and the broader vanua even after his presidency.
The presence of Commander Ro Jone Kalouniwai leading the delegation added a contemporary note to the ceremony. Kalouniwai has been prominent in recent defence engagements abroad, a profile that underlines the symbolic and institutional links between the RFMF and the country’s traditional leadership being honoured at Kubuna. The i-reguregu presentation signals the military’s formal acknowledgement of the vanua’s loss and its respect for a figure who embodied both national service and chiefly responsibility.
The RFMF’s tribute is the latest public expression of grief and remembrance following Ratu Epeli’s passing, reinforcing accounts from across the community that he could lift spirits through song and storytelling while maintaining the dignity expected of high office. Brig. Gen. Gadai’s words and the ceremonial gift to Kubuna serve as a tangible reminder of the bonds between Fiji’s armed forces and its traditional leaders.
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