• Category

  • Content Type

Advertisement

Bustamante left Jamaica a Template for Good Governance?Says PM Golding

February 26, 2008

The Full Story

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has lauded the contribution of Jamaica’s first Prime Minister, the Right Excellent Sir Alexander Bustamante, on the foundation he laid in governance and the leadership he provided the nation in the early post-independence period.
Speaking at a remembrance service yesterday (Feb24) in honour of the 124th anniversary of the birth of the National Hero, Mr. Golding said Sir Alexander left the people of Jamaica, a template for good governance.
He added: “No political leader, regardless of the party represented, should have any excuse in terms of what it takes to provide good, strong, effective leadership.”
The remembrance service was held at Sir Alexander’s birthplace, Blenheim, Hanover.
Mr. Golding said it was the principles that Sir Alexander stood for, the inspiration of his memory and the dream that he had for Jamaica and his passion for the people, especially the working class – that motivated and inspired him (Mr. Golding) to soldier on, in the interest of the people of Jamaica.
The Prime Minister said it was the foundation laid by the founding fathers such as Sir Alexander that allowed Jamaicans of every colour, race and class to live as one. He reflected on several situations where Sir Alexander exhibited his indignation and disgust for the oppression of working class people and his passionate and protective instinct for women.
He said despite not being formally trained in certain areas, Sir Alexander’s foresight led him to make some prudent decisions which have laid good infrastructure foundation for the city of Kingston. He cited the construction of the Sandy Bay Gully as one such area in which Sir Alexander demonstrated good engineering capability that has withstood the test of time.
Other tributes to the memory of the late statesman came from: Councillor Lloyd Hill, the Mayor of Lucea; Mrs. Enid Gonsalves, Acting Custos of Hanover who represented the Governor General and Mr. Kavan Gayle, President of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union.
They all reiterated Sir Alexander’s profound concern for and the championing of the rights of the working class. Other tributes in folk and gospel song and dance were also presented by the Sandy Bay Primary and Junior High , the Hertford Cultural Group and the Hopewell Deliverance Youth Choir while the Reverend Royland Thompson of the Hanover Ministers’ Fraternal and Minister of Brownsville United Church, delivered the message.
Earlier yesterday, Prime Minister Golding, along with several other government and civic leaders, laid wreaths at Sir Alexander’s shrine at the National Heroes Park in Kingston.

Last Updated: February 26, 2008

Skip to content