The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport celebrated the 91st anniversary of the birth of the Most Hon Edward Philip George Seaga, Former Prime Minister of Jamaica, with a floral tribute at his tomb at the National Heroes Park on Friday, May 28.

The commemorative event saw a number of national leaders laying floral arrangements in remembrance of the former Prime Minister, including: the Most Hon Andrew Holness, ON, MP, Prime Minister; Mr. Mark Golding, MP, Leader of the Opposition; the Hon Robert Montague, MP, Minister of Transport & Mining and Chairman of the Jamaica Labour Party; the Hon Olivia Grange, CD, MP Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport; the Hon Alando Terrelonge, MP, State Minister in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport; the Hon Desmond McKenzie, CD, MP, Minister of Local Government & Rural Development and Member of Parliament for Western Kingston; Senator the Honourable Thomas Tavares-Finson, OJ, CD, QC, JP, President Of The Senate and His Worship the Mayor, Senator, Councillor Delroy Williams, Mayor of Kingston and St. Andrew.

Floral arrangements were also laid by: Mr. Christopher Seaga, son of the Former Prime Minister; Mrs. Ann-Marie Spence-Heron, President of the Tivoli Gardens Football Club; Mr. Christopher Bovell, CD, Chairman of the Board of the Edward Seaga Research Institute; and Mr. Ryan Strachan, President of Generation 2000 (G2K).

During her welcome, the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange reflected on Mr. Seaga’s contribution as Prime Minister:

“Today, we pay tribute to the man who gave selflessly to the Jamaican nation. A man who invested heavily in the people and intuitions of this country. A man who saw Jamaica’s potential and was determined to make very bold steps in establishing the framework on which ensuing generations will be able to build out the kind of the society he envisioned for all Jamaicans. A man who was determined to tear down the wall of the haves and have not and secure a better Jamaica for all,” Minister Grange said.

The commemorative event also saw tributes being made in dance, by the famed Tivoli Dance Troupe and in song, by the young JCDC Gold Medalist and former National Children’s Gospel Song winner, Maylyn Dillon.

Born on May 28, 1930, Most Honourable Edward Philip George Seaga was Jamaica’s fifth Prime Minister, serving from October 1980 to February 1989. Through 43 years of unwavering service to the nation, the former Prime Minister played a fundamental role in shaping Jamaica’s post-Independence parliamentary landscape.

Described as a prolific, transformational leader, Mr. Seaga had the distinction of being the longest-serving Member of Parliament (MP) in the history of Jamaica and the Caribbean region. He represented the constituency of West Kingston from 1962 until he retired from active politics in 2005.

Mr. Seaga’s legacy in shaping the country’s political history began at age 29, when in 1959, founder of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Sir Alexander Bustamante, nominated him to serve in the Upper House of Parliament – the Legislative Council (later the Senate). Mr. Seaga was the youngest member to be appointed to serve in this capacity.

After winning his seat as MP in 1962, Mr. Seaga was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Development and Welfare. Following the 1967 General Election, he was appointed Minister of Finance and Planning and in 1974 became the Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), a capacity in which he served for 30 years. Mr. Seaga became Prime Minister of Jamaica following the General Election of October 30, 1980 and led the nation until February 1989.

During his political life, Mr. Seaga made a significant impact on Jamaica’s growth and development through the introduction of various programmes and the establishment of institutions across the social, cultural, political and financial sectors. Starting from as early as 1961 with Things Jamaican, Mr. Seaga also established the Jamaica Festival Movement. He spearheaded the repatriation of Marcus Garvey and his appointment as the country’s first National Hero.

The former Prime Minister also created the training institution, HEART Trust/NTA; and established the Urban Development Corporation, Jamaica Stock Exchange and Jamaica Unit Trust. Also to his credit was the creation of the Jamaica Mortgage Bank; Students’ Loan Bureau; National Development Bank; Agricultural Credit Bank; Jamaica National Investment Promotion Ltd., now Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO); and the EXIM Bank.