From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Bahamas Police Commissioner Greenslade calls Bonamy a great role model
By Llonella Gilbert
Mar 10, 2013 - 10:12:52 AM
Commissioner of Police Elliston Greenslade brings remarks at the Full Military Funeral for retired former Police Commissioner Bernard Kenneth Bonamy, at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Friday, March 8, 2013. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)
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NASSAU, Bahamas -- Commissioner of Police
Elliston Greenslade said he might not have attained that position if not for deceased
former Commissioner of Police Bernard Kenneth Bonamy.
“I had an opportunity
to learn from the best. I was able to observe up close and personal a leader
who modelled the behaviour and spoke volumes by his actions and good deeds,”
Commissioner Greenslade said at the Full Military Funeral for Mr. Bonamy, at
St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Friday, March 8, 2013.
The Commissioner said
he believes that he speaks for former commissioners and a number of other
senior colleagues whose careers were positively influenced by Mr. Bonamy, “a
commissioner who believed in education and the need for succession planning”.
“All members of the
Royal Bahamas Police Force owe a significant debt of gratitude to this
protector of the people and must forever cherish his memory and the positive
contributions he has made to nation building. He spent the greater part of his
life doing what he loved best and he was outstanding in his chosen profession.”
Commissioner
Greenslade explained that those attending the funeral service have come from
all walks of life and from places near and far to “honour an outstanding son of
the soil”.
“We have come out of an abundance of respect
and gratitude for a life of selfless sacrifices on behalf of the people of The
Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
“We have come because
we remember well the significant contributions of this nation builder who
without trepidation confronted the evils that plagued our nation in the mid 80s
and through the 90s.”
The Commissioner said
Mr. Bonamy served during a most difficult time in the history of the country.
“It was a time when
drug traffickers peddled their poison and influence with perceived impunity.
This courageous young commissioner dared to stand and he never flinched despite
the dangers to himself and his family. He was true to his oath of office and
his head was never bowed.
“He made it clear that he was not for sale and
that he was not fixated on being popular. He had a job to do and he intended to
do it whatever the cost.”
Commissioner Greenslade added, “Anyone who knew
Mr. Bonamy understood exactly where he stood on all issues. He stood on
principles and he never vacillated. He was truly an authentic leader who
resisted any temptation to submit to pluralism to the detriment of his
traditional beliefs and values.”
Prime Minister the Rt.
Hon. Perry G. Christie, the top brass of the country’s armed forces, Members of
Cabinet and Members of Parliament attended the Full Military Funeral for Mr.
Bonamy who passed away at the age of 67 on February
22, 2013.
Governor General His
Excellency Sir Arthur Foulkes and Lady Foulkes; former Governors General the
Hon. Arthur Hanna and Sir Orville Turnquest; and senior government officials
were also in attendance.
Full Military Funeral for retired Commissioner of Police Bernard Kenneth Bonamy
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