An ode to Seaga on his 80th birthday!

Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

And so, the much anticipated 80th birthday celebration planned to honour former prime minister and architect of the contentious political enclave of Tivoli Gardens, Edward Seaga, was cancelled, overtaken by events on the ground, which included the declaration of a State of Emergency; as well as the security forces mounting a massive raid on Tivoli Gardens!

Sadly, the loss of life, particularly of members of the security forces, and the assault on police stations and members of the security forces as representative of the state, marks a sad moment in our strive to assert our sovereignty and national character and identity, in our march to become a civilised state. Poor Mr Golding; he must be now questioning his very decision to have accepted the 'invitation' to represent West Kingston as a condition of his returning to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), as clearly, this has not served his best political national interest.

Sadly too, amidst the chaos and turmoil, Jamaica was robbed of the opportunity to pay homage to Seaga, a clear visionary whose work in the trenches has bequeathed this nation a host of institutions and iconic structures of which we can be justly proud. They not only continue to serve us as a people, they have helped in forging that uniquely Jamaican identity that is still very much a work in progress!

Smear campaign

In his political lifetime, Seaga has clearly been the victim of a smear campaign that was hell-bent on demonising him and his beloved West Kingston, especially the enclave of Tivoli, that came to be like an albatross around his neck. It was used to frame and define his political character. One would have hoped that in light of the fact that for decades, this was done under the People's National Party (PNP), a new JLP administration would not only see it fit to rehabilitate Tivoli Gardens, but the image of its founder as well.

To be sure, this writer is well aware that Tivoli Gardens, despite Seaga's intentions, and not unlike what now passes for the JLP, was overtaken by brigands and thugs, who used the character and layout of the enclave as their own fiefdom and mothership to feed satellite enclaves in an ever-widening criminal enterprise, sustained under the guise of political patronage.

At 80, Seaga has lived a life committed and devoted to the Jamaican state and people. It is sad that at this juncture, he is still being denied the recognition that commitment and dedication should have naturally earned him. In this writer's mind, it is inconceivable that Seaga deliberately set out to establish a criminal enclave, and not the total community he envisioned, as a model for urban and rural development!

Corruption

The corruption of Seaga's dream of the total community, is quite similar to the corruption of the political processes over the years, which has led to a retardation of economic, social, cultural and institutional development, replaced by general 'anancyism', one-upmanship and the suffocation of the spirit of fair play and the sense of decency that most parents bequeathed to their offspring!

And so, instead of celebrating the life and contribution of one of this country's great leaders, today, we are mired in the ugliness of political posturing born out of the rancour of Jamaica's biggest industry, 'bad mind and grudgeful'.

And so, instead of a fabulous birthday party over that unforgettable weekend, while his former constituents were being held hostage, not necessarily by the security agents of the state, but more likely by their former patron, Seaga opted to cancel all such celebrations, opting instead for some peace and quiet with his family!

Sir, yours has been a life exemplified by service, and for this, this scribe salutes you on the occasion of your 80th birthday, in the hope that some time in the very near future, we as a nation will be given the opportunity to pay you the respect due!