By E. Hartman Reckord
KINGSTON, Jamaica, (JIS) – Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, has called on Jamaicans to recommit to the task of nation-building as the country approaches Independence Day on August 6.
“It provides an invaluable opportunity for us to reflect and recommit our hearts and minds to the continuous and crucial task of nation-building,” he said, in a speech read by the Custos of Kingston, Steadman Fuller, at the National Emancipation and Independence Thanksgiving Church Service, held on Sunday, August 2, at the Portmore Church of God in Edgewater, St Catherine.
The service, organised by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), under the ministry of culture, gender, entertainment and sport, themed, ‘Resilient and Strong…Let’s Celebrate Jamaica 58’.
The governor-general said that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed how Jamaicans celebrate Emancipation and Independence. He commended the front-line healthcare workers, security personnel and other persons in the health sector for going “beyond the call of duty”.
“We thank them for their selflessness. Their effort and the Government’s response have prevented our situation from being worst,” the Governor-General said, adding that many persons have taken the necessary precaution to contain the spread of the virus.
However, he argued that “there is much to do to minimise the economic impact of this pandemic”. The governor-general urged Jamaicans to forge a future where no one is disadvantaged or disenfranchised and to guard the emancipation fought for by the forefathers and mothers.
“Hardships there may be, but the resilience, strength and creativity of our people will help us bring grace to the certainties of the future in our journey as a nation,” he added.