Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.
“THE Bahamas has lost a giant of a man with the passing of Sir Geoffrey Johnstone,” former prime minister Hubert Ingraham said on Friday.
“Considered a prince by many in the establishment, Geoffrey Johnstone was an accomplished barrister who practised before The Bahamas Bar for more than 50 years. He served as both Vice President and President of The Bahamas Bar,” said Mr Ingraham.
“Sir Geoffrey was one of the most unselfish politicians I have ever known. He was a true Bahamian patriot, a nationalist and a cornerstone of the Free National Movement.
“He served as a cabinet minister in the last UBP-led Government and later as the Leader of that party.
“He gave up more political capital than anyone else to create the Free National Movement,” said Mr Ingraham. “In doing so he presided over the dissolution of his party; gave up his position as Leader of the Opposition and relinquished his safe parliamentary seat, Montagu, to facilitate the creation of the Free National Movement.
“Well respected and admired by his colleagues, Sir Geoffrey actively persuaded many of his former colleagues to also give up their seats in the House of Assembly so as to ensure the successful development of a strong two-party system in our country. We owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.
“As leader of the FNM,” said Mr Ingraham, “I benefitted greatly from Sir Geoffrey’s knowledge, experience, influence and fundraising prowess. He opened many doors for me and for the FNM.
“I valued his counsel and advice in office and remain grateful for the support he lent.
“He served my Government as Chairman of the Hotel Corporation. I was pleased to appoint him as non-resident Bahamian Ambassador to Chile, Argentina and Uruguay.
“I was similarly happy to appoint him as Deputy to the Governor-General and see him act as Governor-General on a number of occasions.
“I was more than pleased,” Mr Ingraham continued, “to recommend him for the highest award of knighthood which a Bahamian Prime Minister can make. It was an honour which I believe he treasured.
”I remember fondly time spent with Sir Geoffrey, whether at his renowned Christmas parties or fishing on his boat, ‘Skylarking’. Most recently Delores and I visited with him at his home late last year when he was already in declining health.
“Delores joins me in expressing sincerest condolences to Lady Anne Johnstone and to the extended family on the passing of Sir Geoffrey.”
Comments
Gotoutintime 7 years, 4 months ago
He was one of a kind---An honest politician!!
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 4 months ago
Not only honest but also unselfish.
Ingraham could have have learned much from Geoff about these important qualities in life.
baldbeardedbahamian 7 years, 4 months ago
The epitome of a gentleman from head to toe. Integrity personified.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Well it is such a shame that the majority of the post-1967 black Bahamian politicians did not pattern themselves after this exemplary human being ............... including Ingraham
DDK 7 years, 4 months ago
Have you nothing nice to say about anyone today?
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Do you hate my pointed honesty about the present political reality in our country?????? ......... smh
ReverendKemp 7 years, 4 months ago
WHAT A JOKE...Tell me you are joking, Mr. Ingraham. How quickly we forget, Geoffery Johnstone WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL Bay Street Boys...or, as they phrase it in the USA, " One of the good ole boys." Which is a subtle way of indicating racism. It is DISAPPOINTING, DESPICABLE and DISHEARTENING for both the present and former Prime Ministers to use " A giant of a man " and " A nation builder " when referring to Johnstone. What nation did he built? He along with the EUROPEAN U. B. P. were RACIST OPPRESSORS of the Bahamian people. THEIR MISSION WAS TO MAKE THE BAHAMAS AN EXTENSION OF THE U S RACIST SOUTH. Their GOAL was to make the Bahamas a shadow of South Africa Apathy. Afro-Bahamians could not go or live in certain areas...they had an unwritten law that no Bahamian could own any beach front homes.They refused to allow Afro-Bahamians to hold certain job positions, I could go on-and-on, but I won't. Thank GOD, he RAISED UP A OUR MOSES, Sir Lynden, who along with Sir Milo Butler, Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield, Sir Carlton Francis, Sir Authur Foulkes, Sir A.D. Hanna, Sir Randolph Fawkes and others who were the TRUE FOUNDING FATHERS and NATION BUILDERS. These were the ones who stood up and suffered for our liberty. It was these same RACIST U.B. P.'s and their off-springs who wanted to remain under the RACIST BRITISH when we got our Independence. The truth must be told and not sugar coated just because he is dead. I say to ALL who would try making Johnstone and his kind some kind of saint...'cause HE AIN'T...THEY AIN'Y ! Unfortunately, the UNCLE TOMS are still among us. Truthfully Speaking, Reverend R. Larry Kemp mymiraclemoment.com
Reality_Check 7 years, 4 months ago
What can I possibly say to a man living in the past filled with hateful racist sentiments who dares call himself a Reverend? Answer: Nothing!
SP 7 years, 4 months ago
Why do you label the Reverend's regurgitation of history as "hateful racist sentiments"?
Denis Diderot - "We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter."
Reality_Check 7 years, 4 months ago
Yours Truly - "A man of the clergy consumed by the past wrongs of others, with no ability to forgive, should be defrocked."
TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago
Comrade SheeRrunner12, The now late MP Johnstone represented the Montagu constituency and according to you that also puts the newest MP "The Fonzsio" in your same negative limelight? Personally, I'd vote for Johnstone any day - before "The Fonzsio."
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
Who is Fonzsio??????? ........ BOL ......... Montagu (constituency) does not exist anymore ........ Did you get that memo?????? Can you identify where I can find Freetown between the Bridge and Dick's Point???? ........... This is so hilarious!!!!!!!!!
TalRussell 7 years, 4 months ago
Comrade SheepRunner, lately you been posting comments that leaves me believe when you was but a tiny little baby that someone's must tossed scary looking Teddy Bear into your baby crib? I think you needs add to your mind some safeguard checklists to refer to - before you press the post button.
JustSo 7 years, 4 months ago
Was this the former UBP leader that after they lost to the PLP said to his fellow UBP politicians: "The UBP is dead. We need to find someone that looks like them, walk like them and talk like them but listens to us".?
We need to know and teach our children true unbiased history regardless of how painful or distasteful it might be!
I certainly wouldn't want future generations thinking Pindling, Ingraham and Christie were anything other than what they themselves proved to be by the evidence of them destroying our country.
Nobody is perfect, everybody inevitably makes mistakes in life sometimes either due to living in a particular period of time or themselves just being bad people!
This nonsense of praising an individual's good points and ignoring the bad is stupid at best, especially when everyone knows of the negatives and speaks "under breath" about them. We to have to give people their fair accolades as well as fair criticisms where applicable.
After all, history, is what it is and cannot be changed!
SP 7 years, 4 months ago
Good question! I don't know if Sir Geoffrey Johnstone was responsible for that famous statement reportedly made at Garfunkle Auditorium, however, they unquestionably finally found their man in "the delivery boy" Hubert Alexander Ingraham.
Perhaps this explains Huberts "endorsement" and accolades of the man that made him prime minister!
Pearl 7 years, 4 months ago
Reverend Kemp, that may all be true, but Geoffrey Johnstone seems to have accepted the new reality and done his best to work within it. Ingraham's endorsement speaks volumes, as does that of the new PM. People can and do change and grow. RIP.
Gotoutintime 7 years, 4 months ago
"Reverend Kemp" is the type of person that goes about stirring up hated in the world---Such a shame---He must not have a very happy life!
SP 7 years, 4 months ago
@Pearl - You must be joking, mad or drunk with overindulgence of local tribalism brew!
Hubert Ingraham's "endorsement" is as worthless as that of Perry Christie's would be as both former men are equal failures as prime ministers of our country that unquestionably destroyed the Bahamas.
The poor and rapidly diminishing fiscal nightmare of our country and deepening financial disasters our people suffer today, where any number of families have lost everything they and their parents struggled to achieve can be squarely laid at the feet of Hubert Alexander Ingraham and Perry Gladstone Christie "leadership" who "governed" the country into massive debt, poverty where their was prosperity, an immigration quagmire not seen on any other country on the planet where more foreigners are employed than locals leading to the impending collapse of the economy, an unsustainable power grid after literally $100's of millions disappeared over the decades and unchecked endemic and systemic corruption so deep it will now take painstaking forensic auditing of every state owned corporation to unravel the mysteries of why NOTHING WORKS HERE before any remotely feasible remedy can be sort.
Hubert Ingraham and Perry Christie were not 100% all disastrous, but even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Ingraham's "endorsement" doesn't amount to a hill of Cuban black beans and shares the same effect!
Condolences to the family of Sir Geoffrey Johnstone.
Giordano 7 years, 4 months ago
The good doesn't erase the bad,anyway,no perfect human under the Sun,history is history,one can change the future but never the past. It is well understood Mr. Ingraham expression of gratitude after making him Prime Minister of The Bahamas under the then newly created F.N.M.. R.I.P. Sir Geoffrey Johnstone, friends of so many. Thanks Sir Geoffrey for reducing racism in the land of so many churches and black slaves human beings and bringing progress to a nation still striving for goodness,dignity and respect,health and peace with zero corruption specially when it comes in handling the Public Purse. Also public safety. From a person who go to the same church that Sir Geoffrey Johnstone always used to go: "Kirk Presbyterian Church" R.I.P. my friend!. Thanks again for persuading the "Bay Street Boys" to move out with reduced monopoly.
truetruebahamian 7 years, 4 months ago
reverendkemp should reassess his bigoted comments and temper them with a good dose of reality - and weigh Johnstone's good as opposed to reverendkemp's wicked hatred.
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