Seaga Calls for Establishment of a National Museum

Former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga, has called for the establishment of a national museum for the collection and preservation of Jamaica’s cultural heritage.
“We have a lot of heritage and we have a lot of creative work that needs to be properly preserved. What we need is a national museum. Rich as we are in the material that will go into a national museum, we have none,” he lamented.
Mr. Seaga, who was the guest speaker at the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) long service and special awards ceremony on October 22 at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston, said he was willing to assist in setting up such a facility while he was still active.
The museum, Mr. Seaga said, would be one of the most important learning tools in creating greater understanding “between the two cultures that live in Jamaica” and would be a place where one could visit to view exhibits and learn about Jamaican way of life.
The former Prime Minister acknowledged that a lot has been done in preserving Jamaican culture and lauded the work of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and Historian and University of the West Indies Lecturer, Professor Verene Shepherd, in this regard.
During the function, Mr. Seaga was presented with the JNHT’s Honour Award for his outstanding contribution in the preservation and promotion of Jamaica’s heritage.
Professor Shepherd; former chairman of the JNHT, Ainsley Henriques; and United States-based Professor E. Kofi Agorsah, were among those recognised with Merit Awards for their outstanding work in the field of heritage advocacy, publication and heritage preservation.
Additionally, 19 organisations and individuals, including the Spanish Jamaica Foundation, Jamaica Information Service (JIS); CVM Communications Group; TVJ’s Smile Jamaica; and talk show host Barbara Gloudon, received Recognition Awards.