Police Commissioner Mike Bush has paid tribute to Ngati Porou leader, Dr Apirana Mahuika.

Dr Apirana Mahuika was farewelled in Rutatoria last Thursday after passing away earlier in the week.

Veteran activist Tame Iti and Police Commissioner Mike Bush during a visit to Tuhoe last year. Mike says Uncle Api assisted the police during this time, despite being unwell. Photo: Twitter.

'Words cannot express our sincerity for a man who gave so much to make this country a safe place for all New Zealanders and the love that he had for his people,” says Mike.

Uncle Api, as he was affectionately known to New Zealand Police, was a long serving member of the Commissioner's Maori Focus Forum.

He was instrumental in strengthening New Zealand Police's relationship with Maori, and was one of the key architects of our Responsiveness to Maori programme.

'I and more than 25 police staff attended the tangi for Ngati Porou leader Apirana Mahuika at Ruatoria last Thursday,” says Mike.

'I spoke about the valuable support, advice and guidance Uncle Api, as he was affectionately known, provided to Police as an organisation and to me as Commissioner.”

Mike recalled in particular the assistance Uncle Api gave him during last year's visit to Tuhoe, when he rose early in the morning and drove for three hours - despite being very unwell.

'The tangi was a moving ceremony befitting of such a highly-respected kaumatua and mourners came from far and wide.

'At the end of the tangi, Uncle Api was taken to the urupa in a police truck symbolising the outstanding contribution he made building the relationship between police and Iwi Maori.”