Laeimau Oketevi Tanuvasa-Savea leaves behind a legacy that should not be in vain, says Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi.

Expressing sympathy at the passing of the late Computer Services Limited Chief Executive Officer in a statement released by the Government Press Secretariat, the Prime Minister said the late top bureaucrat played a critical role in developing Samoa’s ICT sector.

“She was a visionary who saw Information Technology as the gateway to Samoa’s prosperity. From the day that she was appointed as the first Samoan to head CSL, her mission was to transform our country into the Pacific’s ITC literacy hub, from technical, personnel resources to cyber security, it was her bible, second to her Fatoia EFKS Congregation.

“Even when she was critically ill after diagnosed with terminal cancer and was forced to resign from CLS, she continued to remind me of how important IT is to our country’s future and what it means to vital public services such as health, education, business investment,” he said.

The Prime Minister said identifying young women to take up ICT as a career as a passion of the late CEO. 

“Most important to her was personnel, people with the expertise to facilitate government in delivering the ITC spin-offs. She along with many of her woman colleagues in the IT Sector initiated a drive to encourage IT as a career choice and profession especially for young women. Yes, that was Laeimau, always fierce with her approach and determined to achieve her goals.

“She leaves behind a huge imprint and I would like to take this opportunity to urge our young women to take up the challenge laid down by Laeimau,” he added. 

Laeimau is a product of the Samoa public education system having completed her infant to college school years from Apia Infant to Samoa College.

After graduating in 1981, she continued her studies overseas and returned home with a Bachelor of Applied Science – Computing from the Monash University, Melbourne Australia.

She also completed a Certificate Leaders in Development & Managing Political & Economic Change from the Boston USA based Harvard Kennedy School of Executive and a USA a Certificate Advanced Seminars for Chief Executives, National University, Singapore.