Members of Cabinet remembered the late Hon. A. Loftus Roker on Tuesday. Roker served as Minister of National Security and Immigration and was best known as a hardliner when it came to illegal immigration in the country. He was also a signatory of the constitution of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training, the Hon. Glenys Hanna Martin described Roker as a trailblazer. She said, “he is from a class of political leaders that were amongst the trailblazers in sovereignty and nationhood who believed unconditionally in the Bahamian people, who were prepared to fight with everything that as in them for the Bahamian people. And it is because of people like Loftus Roker and others of his class, political class, that we were able to experience majority rule, we were able to experience a national independence.”
Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. I. Chester Cooper recalled that he and Roker spoke of their common path from a family island community to governance. “Because he blazed his trail, he created opportunities for people like me and has been an inspiration for many others across our country,” Cooper said.
The late former Parliamentarian lived in the Tall Pines constituency currently represented in Parliament by the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville who said Roker never lost the common touch. “Even though he was an excellent minister and someone who walked with Kings and Princes he always became very humble, very simple man.”
Minister of Economic Affairs, Sen. Hon. Michael Halkitis said Roker would be remembered for his patriotism and his unyielding integrity. He also described him as an example for younger politicians to emulate.
The Hon. Keith Bell who previously served as Minister of State for National Security and is currently Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal said, “certainly he is well known as one of the very strong persons in respect to his immigration stance and his policies. I think that over the years we continued to try and meet those standards of Mr. Roker.
The Hon. Archibald Loftus Roker died at the age of 88.
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