Bahamas News

BAHAMAS: Prime Minister received the title — The Most Honourable — during National Honours 2018 Ceremony

Published

6 years ago

October 9, 2018

#Nassau, October 9, 2018 – Bahamas – During The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Investiture of National Honours 2018 Ceremony, Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Hubert Alexander Minnis was invested with the insignia, The Order of The Nation, in the first of such honours instituted by the country as it observes National Heroes Day.

The Prime Minister will now be addressed as Dr. the Most Honourable Hubert Alexander Minnis, O.N, M.P, in keeping with the National Honours Act 2016.

The Order of The Nation was also bestowed on former Governors-General, the Most Hon. Dame Ivy Dumont, the Most Hon. Sir Arthur Foulkes, and posthumously, the Most Hon. Sir Milo Butler (also Order of National Hero), the Most Hon. Sir Gerald Cash, the Most Hon. Sir Henry Taylor, the Most Hon. Sir Clifford Darling and former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Sir Lynden Pindling (also Order of National Hero).

The Investiture of National Honours 2018 Ceremony was held in the Ballroom at Government House on Monday, October 8, during which Her Excellency, the Most Honourable Dame Marguerite Pindling, Governor-General and Chancellor of the Societies of Honour, invested a range of national honours on more than 30 nation builders.

The Governor-General announced the honourees on Independence Day July 10, 2018, as advised by the Prime Minister on the recommendations of the National Honours Advisory Committee. She said that the honourees were “worthy of adulation” for their “loyalty to country and contribution to this land of peace.”

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Honourable Hubert Alexander Minnis, affectionately known as “Doc,” is a medical doctor by profession, a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and boasts delivery of more than 5,000 babies. Dr. Minnis is the Member of Parliament for the Killarney Constituency in New Providence and leader of the Free National Movement, the Governing Party.

He was born on April 16, 1954 in humble beginnings in Bain Town to Rosalie North, a struggling seamstress, and Randolph (R.J.) Minnis, the proprietor of well-known Minnis Service Station on Market Street.

He attended the University of Minnesota, USA from 1971 – 1975 and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree with a concentration in Biology. That same year, he entered the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, where he obtained the MBBS degree in medicine.

After obtaining his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the West Indies and MRCOG from London in 1985, he returned home and began working as a physician at the Princess Margaret Hospital where he served as a Consultant and Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and also as Deputy Chief of Staff.

As part of his commitment to the wider community, Dr. Minnis served as president of the Medical Association of The Bahamas, member of the Medical Council, chairman of the Hotel Corporation of The Bahamas and an associate lecturer at the University of West Indies in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

He has a special interest and dedication to the promotion of Bahamian ownership in the economy and for the redevelopment of traditional Over-the-Hill communities.

Prime Minister Minnis was first elected to Parliament in May 2007 for the Killarney Constituency and was appointed to the cabinet as Minister of Health serving from 2007 – 2012. He was re-elected in the 2012 General Election and became Leader of the FNM and Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in the House of Assembly.

At the FNM’s Convention in November 2014, he was re-elected Leader of the FNM Party. In December 2016, he ceased to be the Leader of the Opposition, but maintained his position as FNM Party Leader.

And, following the General Election of May 10, 2017, Dr. Minnis became Prime Minister when the FNM won an overwhelming majority capturing 35 of the 39 elected seats in the House of Assembly. Then on May 12, 2017 Dr. Minnis was sworn in by the Governor General Her Excellency Dame Marguerite Pindling as the fourth Prime Minister of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Prime Minister Minnis is no stranger to participating in the nation’s premier cultural event, Junkanoo. An avid and expert cowbeller for the celebrated Junkanoo group the Saxons Superstars, he enjoys rushing in the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades. His other interests include reading, working out at the gym and spending time with his family.

A Roman Catholic, Dr. Minnis is married to Patricia Minnis (nee Beneby) and is the father of three children and five grandchildren.

By Lindsay Thompson

Photo Caption: Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Hubert A. Minnis, being invested with The Order of the Nation by Her Excellency the Most Hon. Dame Marguerite Pindling, Governor General and Chancellor of the Societies of Honour, at the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Investiture of National Honours 2018 Ceremony at Government House, October 8, 2018. Prime Minister Minnis is also pictured with Mrs. Patricia Minnis arriving at the ceremonies, and immediately after the Investiture.

(BIS Photos/Yontalay Bowe)

Bahamas News

Royal Caribbean Club in The Bahamas started after delays

Published

16 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#TheBahamas#RoyalCaribbean, April 23, 2024- After being delayed following its announcement in 2020, Royal Caribbean’s new 17 acre Royal Beach Club on Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, is now in the works and is scheduled to be ready for 2025, according to reports. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday April 22, signifying the start of construction in the next few months. This project is huge for The Bahamas as it’s a first of kind for the nation, with a unique public private partnership allowing Bahamians to hold up to 49 percent in equity.

Bahamas News

Nassau Cruise Port Donates Nearly $2 Million Towards Food Security

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Shanieka

Nassau, Bahamas: The Nassau Cruise Port has donated $1.95 million towards
projects that will assist the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources in its aim
to increase food security for The Bahamas.

The donation officially occurred at the Ministry’s offices recently, where Minister
of Agriculture and Marine Resources Hon. Jomo Campbell, Minister of Labour
Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle, Permanent Secretary Neil Campbell and Nassau Cruise
Port CEO Mike Maura listened to a number of presentations including one for a
poultry programme for schools, a chicken broiler production programme, the
redevelopment of the Blue Hill Road Farmers Market and an Authentic
Bahamian Cultural Concept Store,

Mr. Maura said he was impressed by the presentations.

“I had the privilege to listen the presentations and review presentations that
touched on food security and the need for us to be self-sufficient, which as a
Bahamian I support completely. At the Nassau Cruise Port, we get excited
about the prospects of offering more authentic food to the millions of visitors
that we have each year,” he said.

“And then, in addition to that, we had presentations around the further
development of our artisans, which is so important to us as well. The guests
visiting our shores are looking for something that really touches The Bahamas
and can’t be found somewhere else. The Nassau Cruise Port has made a pledge to BAIC and its affiliates. We will be supporting the projects that were presented and we can’t wait to get started.”

Minister Glover-Rolle, who is also the Member of Parliament for Golden Gates,
hailed Nassau Cruise Port as a “great community partner.”

“Thank you for the opportunity to not only present but agreeing to participate.
Our Minister of Agriculture has a goal of reducing food imports by 25 percent by
the year 2025 and our project in the Golden Gates Community speaks to that,”
she said.

“We have a number of backyard farmers, farmers and fishers in our community
in Golden Gates. Being able to use the Blue Hill Road Farmers Market, which is
going to be dubbed the ‘Fish Fry of the South,’ as a hub for food security but
also a hub where artisans and handicraft persons can come and sell their wares
is wonderful. So, we are happy that you have agreed to partner with us and we
look forward to a partnership and we hope to welcome some of your visitors
when this amazing renovation is done.”

Minister Campbell also lauded the Nassau Cruise Port for its efforts.

“I would like to say thank you to the presenters for the presentations that are
several steps in the right direction for our country, to Mr. Maura and his board at
the Nassau Cruise Port and I would like to say thanks to God for this partnership
and bringing us all together as we move forward, upward, together in building a
better, brighter, future for The Bahamas,” he said.

Bahamas News

Career Symposium 2024 Connects University Students with Successful Professionals

Published

1 week ago

April 16, 2024

Deandrea Hamilton

Nassau, THE BAHAMAS — Some of the most successful and accomplished professionals and business leaders in the country recently shared their experiences and nuggets of wisdom with students at University of The Bahamas (UB) about thriving in a wide range of careers.

The University Centre for Counselling and Career Services and the Career and Job Placement Advisory Unit collaborated to host the 2024 Career Symposium which brought students face to face with leaders in the careers to which they aspire.

Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maria Oriakhi, said the symposium was key to developing potential as university students strive to leave their mark on the world.

Ms. Rickell Curry

“In the spirit of collaboration and growth, let us engage in meaningful dialogue, cultivate relationships, and harness the power of collective wisdom to shape our futures,” said Dr. Oriakhi. “Together, let us embark on this journey of exploration and discovery, united in our commitment to realizing our fullest potential and making meaningful contributions to our communities and beyond.”

Promoting careers in psychology, Ms. Curry noted that psychologists are equipped with the ability to help others, troubleshoot areas of weakness within themselves, and become better people and professionals in the process.

“The floor is yours to be able to explore. There’s no job where you don’t have to deal with people, so learning, even if you get a bachelor’s in psychology, is a great grounding,” she said.

Dr. Darville, one of few interventional radiologists in The Bahamas, offered another nugget of advice on choosing an area of study.

Dr. Elizabeth Darville

“It is important to know enough about yourself in order to make the decisions you want to make,” said Dr. Darville. “You have to work on yourself first and know what you want to do. Radiology gives you a chance to have fun. It gives you a chance to mold your career closer to your personal life than other medical specialties might.”

Another growing field is project management which Mr. Hepburn called a life skill. He also urged a commitment to lifelong learning.

“Individuals that continue to learn become unstoppable, period,” said Mr. Hepburn. “It is so true. When you learn, you become unstoppable because nothing can stop you in your process of development.

Mr. Wellington Hepburn

“The more you know, the more valuable you are. We need individuals who are cross functional—that can operate in different capacities. So please understand that your learning should never stop.”

With small and medium-sized businesses helping to drive the economy at an incredible rate, Ms. Rolle affirmed the importance of entrepreneurship in any economy.

“When we talk about entrepreneurship, we usually look at it from a myopic standpoint,” she said. Ms. Rolle. “What do I mean by that? Small, but usually about self: ‘how do I make more money?’ And in some cases, some look at entrepreneurship as a way of survival. ‘I need to make a couple extra dollars, I have this bill to pay’. Those types of things.

Ms. Samantha Rolle

“But entrepreneurship really, in its truest form, is about innovation, whether it’s a new concept or any existing concept that you innovate new ways, or help expand the economy.”

The career symposium was held at the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre and is held every academic year.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

Career Symposium 1: UB Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maria Oriakhi, delivers the opening address at the 2024 Career Symposium.
Career Symposium 2: Students and guest speakers enjoy a lighthearted moment during the 2024 Career Symposium.
Career Symposium 3: Ms. Rickell Curry speaks to students during the 2024 Career Symposium.
Career Symposium 4: Dr. Elizabeth Darville delivers remarks during the 2024 Career Symposium.
Career Symposium 5: Mr. Wellington Hepburn educates students on the importance of project management during the 2024 Career Symposium.
Career Symposium 6: Ms. Samantha Rolle talks about the role and importance of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in any economy.