Offerings from Seaga’s funeral go to TGFC

Even after he has passed, former Prime Minister Edward Seaga continues to be a source of strength for his beloved Tivoli Gardens Football Club.

This as the archbishop of the West Indies, Howard Hamilton, announced during Seaga's state funeral at the Holy Trinity Cathedral yesterday that all proceeds from the offerings collected would go to the club.

Seaga, who sat at the helm of the club for about three decades, was laid to rest at National HeroesPark yesterday.

"We pray that it (proceeds) offers support to the young men and women of the community," he said after making the commitment.

Edward Philip George Seaga, born on May 28, 1930, died on his 89th birthday.

Last surviving member

He was Jamaica's fifth prime minister, holding office from 1980 to 1989. He was leader of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 2005 and the last surviving member of the original committee that drafted the Jamaican Constitution in 1962.

Seaga was known for his passion for culture and sports, particularly football, and up to the time of his passing, was chairman of the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) and president of the Tivoli Gardens Football Club.

He was also chairmain of the Professional Football Association of Jamaica (PFAJ) but renounced that position in 2015.

Seaga is credited for being a forerunner in the development of Jamaican music and an integral part of nation building. He also established key institutions such as the Urban Development Corporation, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, the Heart Trust and Metropolitan Parks and Markets, the Tivoli Gardens Housing Development, Tivoli Comprehensive High School, the band and dance troop, and his beloved Tivoli Premier League Football Club.