Phillips deeply saddened by death of Oliver Clarke – Firstlook

Phillips deeply saddened by the passing of Oliver Clarke

The Chairman of the People’s National Party (PNP) and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Honourable Peter Phillips, has said the death of media mogul and veteran industrial magnate Mr Oliver Clarke marks the end of an era in our country’s history.
He said Mr Clarke was a true example of patriotism, having facilitated and fulfilled numerous calls for national service. When Jamaica faced major challenges in its development, particularly in recent decades, Mr Clarke did not hesitate to answer the call of different political administrations to serve at the highest level to find solutions.
His analytical skills, business experience and accounting expertise have often been used to help our country through difficult times, such as during the advent of dollarization in the 1980s, and as head of various task forces, including the body that reviewed parliamentarians’ salaries.
Mr Clarke has served in many public and private sector institutions, including as Chairman of the National Commercial Bank during its transition from government to private ownership. He was an influential voice of reason on the Public Service Commission for many years during the period of public administration reform.
Mr. Clarke’s selfless passion for national causes was recognized by all as Chairman and General Manager of Gleaners. Mr. Clarke gave his all; he supported national causes and celebrated national aspirations and victories in various fields through the annual Gleaners Honor Awards, which brought recognition to leaders in various fields. He was also instrumental in promoting the Governor General’s Achievement Awards.
Oliver Clarke was a champion of press freedom, supporting the formation of the Jamaica Press Association in the 1960s and later the Jamaica Media Association, and brought his passion to the global stage through his work with the Inter-American Press Association.
He created and provided opportunities for many young journalists and other media practitioners to develop their skills and serve their communities and country, either from the North Street bastion or through its affiliates in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Dr. Phillips said Mr. Clarke served as President of the Jamaica National Building Society for many years and was a leading and respected figure in the private sector.
“He had a deep love for his country and was tireless in supporting national development causes. He was willing to use everything he had to reshape his country for the better. It was this passion to change the culture of violence that led him to create the Peace and Love in Schools initiative. He believed in applying critical thinking when solving problems; this led to the creation of many think tanks that produced important ideas on crime, national debt and other issues of national and international concern,” said Dr. Phillips.
On behalf of the People’s National Party, I extend my condolences to Mr Clarke’s wife Monica, daughter Alex and other family members, the staff of the RJRGleaner Group and his many colleagues and friends,” Dr Phillips said.