"If life has taught us anything, it is that death is brutally final." - Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin
Monday, September 25, 2023, began like an ordinary, sunny Autumn day for most Bahamians. It rapidly became apparent that it would be nothing like an ordinary sunny Autumn day for the nation.
Many of us were either at our offices or on our way to work when social media began to deluge our mobile devices with reports that Minister Obediah Wilchcombe was discovered unresponsive in his apartment in West End, Grand Bahama in the early hours of the morning.
Those of us who knew him well frantically called our most reliable sources to confirm the veracity of the reports that were now inundating our mobile phones.
While we were praying that our worst fears would not be confirmed, we were beginning to feel a reluctant resignation that we would never again be able to engage our friend and colleague whom we have come to affectionately call Obie. Our worst fears were finally confirmed within an hour of receiving the surprisingly shattering news. The nation was shocked by the unanticipated developments of a day that will forever be etched in our personal and national consciousness.
Therefore, this week, we will Consider This ... who was Obediah Hercules Wilchcombe, and how will he be remembered?
Early years
Born in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Obie received his early education in that city at Mary Star of the Sea School. In an interview with an international travel publication, from which I will be quoting extensively for this column, Obie recalled that his first job was as a Tribune newspaper boy at 11 years of age, remembering how he stood on the street corner selling newspapers. "We used to yell "TRI-BUTE!" he recalled.
Obie attended Queen's College High School in Nassau where he cultivated a lifelong friendship with Glenys Hanna-Martin and Paul "Andy" Gomez. Glenys remembers managing Obie's campaign for student president at Queen's College.
Their close bond continued into adulthood where Glenys and Obie became integrally involved in the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), both as elected members of Parliament and cabinet colleagues.
On separate occasions, both Obie and Glenys were elected chairman of the PLP.
Andy Gomez went on to serve as ambassador to China and is currently The Bahamas high commissioner to the Court of St. James (United Kingdom) as well as several European countries.
Professional journalist
After leaving high school, Obie worked at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, beginning in 1975. He was asked in that interview when he was the happiest in his life. Obie responded, "When I got my first job in broadcasting, at age 16. I was the most happy man."
Ten years later, he was promoted to deputy director of news, and then to news director in 1987. In 1990, he became assistant general manager.
During his tenure with the Broadcasting Corporation, Obie was assigned to the then-prime minister, the late Sir Lynden Pindling.
Obie covered events such as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) in Canada, Malaysia, and Zimbabwe. He also covered CARICOM Heads of Government conferences in St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, and The Bahamas. Perhaps it was the exposure that Obie received on those trips that awakened his appetite for public life.
While with the Broadcasting Corporation, Obie won a national award for writing and producing the television documentary "Base Streets." The program illuminated the impact of cocaine on the Bahamian society.
In 1989, he was appointed to lead the team responsible for the introduction of ZNS television to Grand Bahama.
From April 1999 to October 2000, Obie hosted "The Bahamas Today," a two-hour talk show on More FM Radio that focused on the country's political, economic, and social issues.
While working at More FM, when his professional ethics were challenged, Obie accepted four days in Her Majesty's Prison rather than reveal how he received a letter that was passed to him from a condemned inmate who committed suicide. Obie read the letter on air the morning he received it.
Obie's political journey
Obie entered politics in August 1994 when Sir Lynden appointed him senator. His colleague senators were Dr. Elliston Rahming, the late Calsey Johnson, Pleasant Bridgewater, and yours truly.
Obie was elected chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party in 1995, and, after the general election of 1997, the newly minted leader of the opposition, Perry Christie, reappointed Obie to the Senate.
It was, in fact, at the historic leadership convention that elected Christie on the second ballot that I ran for leader as well. I shall be forever grateful to Obie for being my campaign manager in that endeavor, and I will always treasure the time we spent working together on my unsuccessful bid to succeed Lynden Pindling as leader of the PLP.
On May 2, 2002, Obie was elected to the House of Assembly as the PLP member of Parliament for the West End and Bimini constituency.
Shortly thereafter, he was sworn in as the minister of tourism with responsibility for the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas. He was also given ministerial responsibility for Bahamas Information Services.
Obie was reelected by his constituents in West End and Bimini in the 2007 general election. After winning his seat again in the May 2012 general election, Obie was sworn in as the minister of tourism for a second time on May 10, 2012, and had oversight of the promotion and development of tourism, tourism production improvement, relations with Nassau Tourism and Development Association, tourism publicity and advertisement, relations with the Hotel Corporation of The Bahamas, relations with tourism promotion boards, the Welcome Centre, Prince George Dock, and relations with the Gaming Board and lotteries and gaming.
During his tenure as minister of tourism, the Ministry of Tourism set record-breaking arrivals and tourism expenditure. He introduced new airlift services, including Jet Blue, Spirit, WestJet, and Virgin Airlines.
Also, as tourism minister, Obie achieved several notable milestones, including introducing Sports, Religious, and African-American Tourism to The Bahamas. He also developed a policy to promote a burgeoning Bahamian film industry; two of the top three films of 2006 were shot in The Bahamas.
Although he lost his seat in 2017, Obie was returned to Parliament by his constituents in West Grand Bahama and Bimini in 2021. At the time of his passing, he was serving as minister of social services, information and broadcasting.
How will we remember him?
We will remember Obie as a journalist, politician, and servant leader. But there was much more to the man.
He was also an avid sportsman and a former president of the Grand Bahama Basketball Association and the Commonwealth American Football League.
We know about his love for the Miami Dolphins football team. When asked what he wanted to be as a kid, Obie responded, "A football player in the NFL. But I never got beyond 5'8".
Obie loved sports, including football, baseball, and basketball. He was also asked in the interview if there was anything that kept him awake at night. He replied, "Late night sports. That's all."
We will remember Obie as an eloquent orator who possessed a gifted way with words and ideas and how to present them. It will, therefore, surprise some to learn that, in response to the interviewer's question, "What do people not know about you?" Obie responded, "That I'm shy. I am a loner by nature and actually don't like giving speeches."
We will remember Obie as a person committed to serving his constituents. We remember the Obie who stayed in West End during a hurricane that hit the island of Grand Bahama in 2004.
In fact, when asked about what was the scariest thing he ever did, Obie responded, "In 2004, sitting out Hurricane Frances in my constituency with senior residents who didn't want to leave their homes. I am proud that I stayed with my people, but it was more frightening than prison."
Above all, we will remember Obie as a deeply devoted nationalist who loved his country and its people unwaveringly and worked tirelessly to help those in need. When the interviewer inquired what he hoped to be doing in 10 years, Obie responded, "Retired! And writing books and helping others." He was always committed to helping others.
Obie was constantly concerned about those in need. When he was questioned about his greatest extravagance, Obie answered, "I give away a lot. I've been that way since high school."
As for his favorite charity, Obie replied: "Anything to do with children."
Despite his charming personality, his personal charisma, his deep commitment to helping the poor and downtrodden in our society, and the fact that he was one of the few among his colleagues who daily sought to personify the core values of the PLP, there were some who tried to frustrate and undermine him, while others harbored ill will and jealousy towards Obie. But that never discouraged him.
We often spoke about the greatest threats to the progressive, liberal movement incubating from within our organization and the urgency to proactively resist, expose, and thwart those forces seeking to subvert the party's agenda.
After Obie's passing, I visited Artis Neely, a long-standing, respected PLP stalwart in Freeport, who echoed very similar sentiments, albeit in much stronger terms.
Those sentiments were echoed again during a conversation that I shared with Glenys Hanna-Martin following Obie's death. She encapsulated the essence of last Monday's event when she observed, "If life has taught us anything, it is that death is brutally final."
It, therefore, remains for those who survive Obie to do all that we can, whenever we can, as often as we can, and in any way that we can to constantly remind our leaders of the importance of fulfilling the party's progressive, liberal agenda. We will honor Obie's memory by fulfilling and upholding the PLP's core values.
Obie's life and his passing should equally inspire us to remember that another dearly departed, distinguished Bahamian, Arthur D. Hanna, admonished us to "wipe every tear from every eye".
Obie embodied this admonition, seeing it as his responsibility to uplift and assist with a hand up wherever and whenever it was needed.
And now, Obie has gone onto his just reward. He has fought the good fight; he has finished the race. He has kept the faith.
Sleep well, my friend. Until we meet again.
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