Weekend sees successful celebration of former PM Spencer’s legacy in the UPP, Rural West, and the Nation
A Lifetime Achievement Award for decades of public service and
advocacy was among the many accolades bestowed on former Prime
Minister Dr. Winston Baldwin Spencer during a
celebration of his and the United Progressive Party’s (UPP)
“Sunshine Legacy.”
The two-day event commenced with a community social at
Pensioners Beach on Saturday, March 23, and was attended by many
friends, well-wishers and members of the UPP, including current and
past parliamentarians.
It was a commemoration of Spencer’s 20 th anniversary of election as
Antigua and Barbuda’s third prime minister — and one of its most
revered leaders.
Reports say there were electrifying performances from the Halcyon
Steel Orchestra, Queen Ivena, and the Kaution Band.
The celebration ended on Sunday, March 24, with Dr. Spencer being
honoured during morning worship at the Green Bay Moravian
Church.
He was well received and congratulated by constituents, and was
presented with a gift basket of locally crafted products by members
of the St. John’s Rural West Constituency Branch, which organized
the event.
In accepting the award, Spencer, born and raised in the St. John’s
Rural West Constituency, expressed pride in his Party’s
accomplishments and philosophy of “putting people first.”
Spencer also served as the first political leader of the United
Progressive Party, a position he held for 25 years.
He said he was honoured to have made a difference in improving the
lives of residents and citizens through a wide range of initiatives
that brought relief, including the Millennium Naturalization Act that
helped to regularize the status of many non-nationals.
Spencer urged those in attendance to “reflect, reconnect and re-
energize to redeem Antigua and Barbuda once again.”
Former UPP Political Leader Harold Lovell described Dr. Spencer as
Antigua and Barbuda’s best prime minister, praising him for
restoring the country’s reputation on the international stage, after
years of scandals and mismanagement by the Antigua Labour Party
regime.
Chairman of the UPP St. John’s Rural West Constituency Branch,
Chevaughn Benjamin read congratulatory messages from several
regional leaders and influencers, including former Prime Minister of
Jamaica P.J. Patterson.
Richard Lewis, MP for St. John’s Rural West, presented Dr. Spencer
with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding service to
the community and the Nation.
