By Licec Bastian
Journal Staff Writer
Prime Minister Philip Davis honoured the life and legacy of the late Obie
Wilchcombe in the House of Assembly on Wednesday as he made his contribution to
the Speech from the Throne Debate.
As he moved a Resolution thanking Governor General Cynthia “Mother” Pratt for her
delivery of the Speech from the Throne, during the official opening of Parliament at
on October 4th, Prime Minister Davis took the opportunity to pay tribute to the late
member of parliament for West Grand Bahama and Bimini.
“As I stand here today in this Honourable House, I feel the absence of the Hon.
Obediah Wilchcombe. We are still a people in mourning after such an irreplaceable
loss. This nation is better today because of the contributions made by our Honourable
colleague,” the prime minister said.
“We must now honour his legacy by ensuring that our conduct and our priorities
continue to reflect what is in the best interest of the Bahamian people. That is what
Obie was all about as leader of government business in this House.”
Last Wednesday Parliamentarians paid tribute to the MP and passed a Resolution, in
the late minister’s honour and in the absence of Prime Minister Davis who was
attending a Canada-Caricom Summit in Ottawa, Canada.
Like last week, a vacant seat draped in black and adorned with a photo of the late MP
and a wreath remains a reminder that the once minister of tourism will no longer grace
the halls of the House of Assembly.
“His contributions are now a part of the permanent record of this House with the
passage of the Resolution in his honour last week,” Prime Minister Davis said.
“Obediah Wilchcombe had a profound belief in preserving the dignity of the
Bahamian people which was evident in his approach to policymaking and
implementation. His fingerprints could be found in our Blueprint for Change, and he
continued to influence us as we took office in September 2021.”
The late MP who was also the minister of social services, information and
broadcasting, was remembered as a broadcasting and political giant.
He died on Monday, September 25.
