The Tribune

IT WAS a reunion, filled with fun and laughter as former Free National Movement cabinet ministers gathered at the Sandals Beach Resort on Tuesday to celebrate the 80th birthday of Sir William Allen, who served as a Member of Parliament and Minister of Finance in two FNM administrations between 1992 and 2002. The festive luncheon was hosted by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.

Among the former parliamentarians attending the surprise event were a group whose national contributions are well respected. They included two former Governors General, a former Deputy Prime Minister and the first woman to be elected to Parliament.

All had once served as ministers in the Cabinet: Dame Ivy Dumont, Zhivargo Laing, Earl Deveaux, Brent Symonette, Janet Bostwick, Theresa Moxey Ingraham, Kenneth Russell, Anthony Rolle, Dr Ronald Knowles, C A Smith, O A T “Tommy” Turnquest, Sir Orville Turnquest, Carl Bethel, Frank Watson, David Thompson and Dion Foulkes.

Sir William thanked Mr Ingraham for the honour and said he was “delighted” and “humbled” and glad of the opportunity to spend time with former parliamentary colleagues.

Mr Ingraham made Sir William’s acquaintance when he held a ministerial position under the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) in the early 1980s. With history-making election to Parliament, which ended the 25-year PLP control of the Government, Mr Ingraham appointed Sir William Minister of State for Finance.

Mr Ingraham praised Sir William’s service to the nation. “William Allen is one of the unsung heroes in terms of public service in The Bahamas, and so the thought came to me to have a luncheon for him,” Mr Ingraham said.

Sir William’s 32-year public service career began in 1970, when he joined the Bahamas Monetary Authority as Research Manager. In 1973 he was appointed to chair a committee created to establish Bahamasair, the national flag carrier, and served as the first chairman of the board, from 1973 to 1980. In 1974, upon the establishment of the Central Bank, Mr Allen was appointed Deputy Governor and he continued as Research Manager of the Bank until 1976. He was appointed Governor of the Bank in 1980 and served until his retirement in 1987.

When the FNM won the government in August, 1992, Sir William was appointed to the Senate (1992-1994) and also served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, later taking the top post as Minister of Planning and Public Service. He was first elected to Parliament for the Montagu constituency on November 10, 1994, and subsequently appointed Minister of Finance, carrying that portfolio until May, 2002. He is currently a Director on several corporate Boards.

Former Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont said: “I was delighted to be able to come, I thought Prime Minister [Hubert Ingraham] did a wonderful thing to invite us because this is the kind of celebration we don’t have often … I think he [Sir William] is entitled to have a special day, getting together with people he had known for so long.”

Zhivargo Laing said: “To be able to celebrate his 80th birthday with him is really a marvellous treat and I’m honoured. I couldn’t imagine right now a more glorious thing for me. In almost every way that a friend and professional colleague could impact a person, Sir William Allen has impacted me. His intellectual capacity, his authenticity, his seriousness about the task and assignment and his desire to see you grow as an individual, was all the experience I had with him, as a cabinet colleague, as a parliamentary colleague, and simply as a friend.”

In further applauding his guest, however, Mr Ingraham said that today’s lack of transparency in the management of the country’s finance did not compare favourably with the admirable job the latter did in overseeing the public purse as Governor of the Central Bank.

“William did a wonderful job for us and for the Bahamas, in terms of public finances, in terms of the economy,” the former Prime Minister said. Regarding the present realities, he said, “We have never had a less transparent, less accountable government in the history of the Bahamas.”

In turn, the honoree gave credit, explaining how Mr Ingraham as prime minister contributed to his success in steering national finances.

“For the Minister of Finance to do good, he has to have the full support of his Prime Minister - if it’s going to work, full support. I’ve had that. And we’ve brought a discipline to fiscal affairs in this country that we’ve never had before,” Sir William said.

Sir William’s storied educational and professional attainments have extended beyond his homeland. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the School of Commerce, New York University and a Master’s Degree in Economics with a concentration in International Finance from Baruch College of the City University of New York. While in New York he worked as an Internal Auditor with Stone & Webster Securities Corporation and later as Budget Supervisor at the Headquarters of the J C Penney Co until 1970, when he returned to Nassau.