ʻEletā Benjamin M. Z. Tai

Fitungofulu Taki Māʻolunga

Naʻe puke pōpula e kuitangata he tafaʻaki e tamai ʻa ʻEletā Penisimani M. Z. Taí pea fakapoongi ia ʻe he kau tau Siapani ne nau ʻohofi ʻa Hongo Kongo lolotonga e Tau Lahi Hono Ua ʻa Māmaní.

Hili ha ngaahi taʻu mei ai, naʻe fetaulaki ʻa ʻEletā Tai mo hono uaifí ko Nāomi Toma mei Siapani, lolotonga ʻene hoko ko ha palesiteni ki he kōlomu kaumātuʻá ʻi he uooti tamaiki ako ne ʻi ai ʻi he ʻUnivēsiti Pilikihami ʻIongí. Naʻe hoko ʻa Nāomi ko ha palesiteni Fineʻofa he taimi ko iá.

ʻI he taimi naʻe talaange ai ʻe Penisimani ki heʻene tamaí, Taki Māʻolunga mālōlō ko ʻEletā Kuoki ʻIeni Taí, ʻokú ne teiti mo fakaʻamu ke mali mo Nāomí, naʻe ʻikai ha taʻeloto ki ai ʻene tamaí. Ko e moʻoní, naʻe haʻu e ongomātuʻa ʻa Nāomí, Likuo mo Fumiko Toma, ki Hongo Kongo ke ʻaʻahi ki he ongomātuʻa ʻa Penisimaní. Naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe heʻene [Naomi] mātuʻá naʻe hanga ʻe he ongoongolelei ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí ʻo ʻai ke lava ʻena malí. Naʻá na mali ʻi he Temipale Salt Lake ʻi he ʻaho 23 ʻo Tīsema, 1995. Ko ha ongomātuʻa kinaua ki ha fānau ʻe toko ono.

ʻOku pehē ʻe ʻEletā Tai, “ʻOkú ma haʻu mei ha tukufakaholo kehekehe, ka ʻoku ʻi ai ha ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoni tatau ʻo e tuí mo e feilaulaú.” ʻOku ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻEletā Tai ko e ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoni ko ia ʻo e tuí mo e feilaulaú ʻokú ne fakafehokotaki ia mo e Kāingalotu ʻo e Siasí ʻi he funga ʻo e māmaní.

Naʻe fāʻeleʻi ʻa Penisimani Mingi Sei Tai ʻi he ʻaho 20 ʻo Mē, 1972 ʻi Hongo Kongo kia Kuoki ʻIeni mo Hui Hua Tai. Naʻe hoko e ngāue maʻuʻanga moʻui ʻa ʻene tamaí ke fefolauʻaki ai ʻa e fāmilí ʻi he funga ʻo e māmaní kimuʻa pea nau hikifonua ki Kalefōnia Tonga, USA, ʻa ia ne nofo ai ʻa ʻEletā Tai ʻi heʻene taʻu hongofulu tupú. Naʻe fakaʻaliʻali ʻe heʻene mātuʻá ha takainga tohi ʻi honau ʻapí naʻe tohi ai ʻa e ngaahi lea ko ʻení ʻi he tohi faka-Siainá: “Ka ko au mo hoku falé te mau tauhi ʻa [e ʻEikí]” (Sōsiua 24:15). Kuo hoko ʻeni ko e kaveinga fakafāmili ʻa e fāmili Taí.

Hili e ngāue ʻa ʻEletā Tai ʻi he Misiona ʻAositelēlia Melipoané, naʻá ne maʻu ha mataʻitohi BA ʻi he saienisi ʻo e fakamālohisinó mei BYU ʻi he 1996 mo ha mataʻitohi MA mei he ʻUnivēsiti ʻo Kalefōnia ʻi Losi ʻEniselesí (UCLA), ʻi he 2003. Kuó ne ngāue ʻi Siapani mo Hongo Kongo ʻi he fakahū paʻanga pangikeé (investment banking) mo e fakatau kelekelé.

Kuo hoko ʻa ʻEletā Tai ko ha Fitungofulu Fakaʻēlia, palesiteni fakavahefonua, tokoni ʻi ha kau palesitenisī fakavahefonua, sekelitali pule fakavahefonua, palesiteni kōlomu kaumātuʻa, palesiteni fakakolo, mo ha faiako ʻi he Lautohi Faka-Sāpaté.