Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo | |
Office4: | Minister of Communications and Information Technology |
Primeminister4: | Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa |
Term Start4: | 24 May 2021 |
Predecessor4: | Afamasaga Rico Tupai |
Constituency Mp15: | Falealili No. 1 |
Parliament15: | Samoan |
Term Start15: | 9 April 2021 |
Predecessor15: | Aumua Isaia Lameko |
Party: | Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi |
Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo is a Samoan politician and Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi party.[1]
Onesemo was educated at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, obtaining a bachelor's and master's degree in civil engineering, as well as the University of the South Pacific, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science and a teaching certificate.[2] He worked as a teacher in Samoa from 1994 to 1999, and since 2002 has served as a public servant.[2] In 2015 he was appointed chief executive of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure.[2]
He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa in the April 2021 Samoan general election, winning the seat of Falealili No. 1.[3]
On 24 May 2021 he was appointed Minister of Communications and Information Technology in the elected cabinet of Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa.[4] The appointment was disputed by the caretaker government. On 23 July 2021 the Court of Appeal ruled that the swearing-in ceremony was constitutional and binding, and that FAST had been the government since 24 May.[5]