One of Samoa's longest-serving journalists, the newspaper editor, author, and storyteller, Afemata Tunumafono Apelu Aiavao, has passed away. 

He was 90-years-old.

Condolence messages flooded in from around the world from those related to and those who knew the High Chief from Safata and his work on Tuesday night. 

Afemata created history in 1953 as the first Samoan to have passed New Zealand's School Certificate Exam.

He was the head boy of the founding class of Samoa College and was one of the first scholarship students to study in New Zealand as the country prepared for independence in 1962.

He returned back to Samoa after obtaining his Teacher's Certificate in New Zealand; he then started teaching at Samoa College at Vaivase. 

In the year 1963, he edited the college's first publication. He then became a School Principal at Palauli Primary School in Savai'i. 

From the years between 1979 and 2000, Afemata worked as the Government of Samoa's Press Secretariat where he was also the editor of the Government-owned Savali newspaper fpr 21 years. 

In 2007, he became the editor of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa's (C.C.C.S.) "Sulu Samoa", which was first established in  1839.

Afemata published several books of short stories in Samoan and recited some of them via Radio 2AP.

He used spare sentences in the Samoan language to tell his stories from his book "Maunu Mai Loimata O Apaula" in the radio series "Palolomua" to win over listeners.

In 2017, Afemata's service to Samoa was recognised by the Government of Samoa where he was the recipient of the Head of State's Service Medal. 

The esteemed award recognises those who have accomplished a highly valuable achievement in any field of endeavor and had provided long service to Samoa and its people. 

Afemata retired as the Editor of the country's "Sulu Samoa", the country's longest-running Samoan language publication,  in 2018. 

He was from the villages of Safata, Sataoa, and Moto'otua. 

On Tuesday night, a Facebook post by the E.F.K.S. Sataoa sent out a condolence messages that has since been widely shared. 

"The night is filled with silence, the stars aren't shining so bright and the clouds of sadness are upon our village," the post reads. 

"Because God has called for one of his servants, Le Afioga iā Afemata Tunumafono Apelu Aiavao  He's a Hero, 

"One of our High Chiefs, a man of wisdom, a great author, storyteller, a representative of Sataoa to Samoa and the whole world and especially, a loving father.

"Deepest condolences and sympathy to the families and children. 

"No doubt, he's in a better place now. God must have needed another angel to be a part of his throne."