The dedication ceremony for the new Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre, which serves as the Office of the Prime Minister took place Friday, January 28. The Centre has been relocated in what was once H G Hambros building, as the original Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre was torn down to make way for the construction of the new Baha Mar Resort. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)
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Nassau, The Bahamas - Prime Minister
the Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham praised the late Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield
during the dedication ceremony of the Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre, Friday,
January 27, for being among the “generation of great men and women who led the
struggle for Majority Rule and equality in The Bahamas.”
“When Sir Cecil came to believe that
some of the ideals of that struggle were not being honoured, he was at the
forefront of the formation of a new political party,” the Prime Minister said.
Nassau, The Bahamas - Prime Minister
the Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham praised the late Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield
during the dedication ceremony of the Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre, Friday,
January 27, for being among the “generation of great men and women who led the
struggle for Majority Rule and equality in The Bahamas.”
Lady Naomi Wallace-Whitfield, Widow of Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield (left) and Delores Ingraham, wife of Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham cut the ribbon to the doors of the Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre, while the Prime Minister looks on. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)
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“When Sir Cecil came to believe that
some of the ideals of that struggle were not being honoured, he was at the
forefront of the formation of a new political party,” the Prime Minister said.
“This singular event ensured a viable
two-party system. It was vital in
securing and deepening democracy in The Bahamas. Fittingly, even as we dedicate this Centre to
the memory and legacy of Cecil Wallace-Whitfield, we also pay tribute to all of
those who championed freedom and democracy in The Bahamas; often at great
sacrifice,” Prime Minister Ingraham added.
Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham smiles as he unveils a photo of Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield with Lady Naomi Wallace-Whitfield, Widow of Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield (left) and his wife Delores Ingraham. Minister of National Security the Hon O.A.T. Turnquest (far left) and Deputy to the Governor General the Hon. Frank H. Watson are also pictured. The photograph hangs in the main staircase in the foyer of the Centre. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)
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Lady Naomi Wallace-Whitfield; Sir
Cecil’s family and friends; the Deputy to the Governor General the Hon. Frank
S. Watson; Cabinet Ministers; other senior government officials and dignitaries
attended the dedication.
The Prime Minister explained that the
relocation of the original Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre, which serves as the
Office of the Prime Minister, to the new site was required to make way for the
construction of the new Baha Mar Resort.
The Government sold the original Cecil
Wallace-Whitfield building and site to Baha Mar Resorts for some $17.686
million and acquired the new premises from S G Hambros for some $13 million,
Prime Minister Ingraham said.
Prime Minister the Rt Hon Hubert Ingraham walks through the Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre after its official dedication on Friday. His Special Advisor Teresa Butler looks on. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)
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“The refurbishment and upgrade of these
premises were undertaken in record time by an energetic team of Bahamian
companies coordinated by the capable leadership of Pineapple House.”
The Prime Minister noted that more
extensive work has begun on the grounds to create a Bahamian garden featuring
native flora and hardwood trees. “It is our plan, to make these nine acres a
mini-Bahamian botanical garden.”
Prime Minister Ingraham said Sir Cecil
would be pleased that 45 years after he helped to bring about Majority Rule,
and approximately 40 years after he helped to form the Free National Movement,
the country he loved and the party to which he devoted his considerable
energies, continue to flourish.
“Many Bahamians recall the pivotal role
Cecil Wallace-Whitfield played in safeguarding Bahamian democracy. Perhaps fewer may recall his contributions in
the first majority-rule government.
Though he only served briefly as a cabinet minister, the work he did was
far-reaching,” the Prime Minister said.
“As Minister of Works, Cecil
Wallace-Whitfield understood the need to bring critical infrastructure to the
majority of Bahamians. His ambitious
efforts to put streetlights in Over-the-Hill neighbourhoods, build new schools
and roadways in the Family Islands and here in New Providence improved the
lives of many thousands of Bahamians.
“He understood the fundamentals
necessary for educational advancement and student achievement. As Minister of Education, he spearheaded the
establishment of a teacher’s college in San Salvador. He understood the need for more Bahamian
teachers, as well as the critical role of capable teachers in learning and
overall national development,” Prime Minister Ingraham said.
Archdeacon Father Keith Cartwright
performed the blessing/dedication of the Cecil Wallace-Whitfield Centre.
The Prime Minister participated in
planting a Bahamian Lignum Vitae tree located adjacent to the area where two
native trees were planted by Sir Lynden Pindling and Dame Margaret Thatcher in
1985.
Dame Margaret, Prime Minister of Great
Britain at the time, was in Nassau to participate in the 1985 Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meetings. The tree
planting then was in honour of the 50th Anniversary of Roy West in
The Bahamas; Roy West being the occupant of the premises at that time.
Lady Naomi and Mrs Delores Ingraham,
wife of the Prime Minister cut the ribbon to the doors of the Centre.
