Moses Pitakaka

{{Short description|Governor-General of Solomon Islands from 1994 to 1999 (1945–2011)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Sir Moses Pitakaka

|honorific-suffix = GCMG

|office = 3rd Governor General of Solomon Islands

|monarch = Elizabeth II

|primeminister = Sir Francis Billy Hilly
Solomon Mamaloni
Bartholomew Ulufa'alu

|term_start = 7 July 1994

|term_end = 7 July 1999

|predecessor = Sir George Lepping

|successor = Sir John Lapli

|birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1945|1|24}}

|birth_place = Choiseul Province, British Solomon Islands

|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2011|12|25|1945|1|24}}

|death_place = Honiara, Solomon Islands

|spouse = Lady Lois Pitakaka

|alma_mater =

}}

Sir Moses Puibangara Pitakaka GCMG (24 January 1945 – 25 December 2011) served as the third Governor-General of the Solomon Islands from 7 July 1994 until 7 July 1999. Pitakaka was from Choiseul Province.{{cite news|first=Tarcisius Tara |last=Kabutaulaka|title=Pacific Islands Stakeholder Participation in Development: Solomon Islands |url=http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2000/02/24/000094946_99031910570559/Rendered/INDEX/multi_page.txt |work=World Bank |date=September 1998 |access-date=2012-01-07}} His widow is Lady Lois Pitakaka.[http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/13224-state-funeral-for-late-sir-moses "State funeral for late Sir Moses"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616145120/http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/13224-state-funeral-for-late-sir-moses |date=2012-06-16 }}, Solomon Star, 27 December 2011{{cite web|url=http://www.burkespeerage.com/FamilyHomepage.aspx?FID=11087 |title=Burke's Peerage - Preview Family Record |publisher=Burkespeerage.com |date=1945-01-24 |access-date=2012-01-13}}

On 15 June 1999, Pitakaka declared a state of emergency after an outbreak of ethnic violence killed four on Guadalcanal.{{cite news|title=Solomon Islands (1978-present) |url=http://uca.edu/politicalscience/dadm-project/asiapacific-region/solomon-islands-1978-present/ |work=University of Central Arkansas Department of Political Science |access-date=2011-12-04}}

He died at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara early on the morning of Christmas Day 2011. He received a state funeral on 28 December.