The spirit of Sir Paul

When Sir Paul Boffa died on July 6, 1962, we lost a first class doctor, statesman, politician and an honest all round gentleman. I am an old senior citizen and before I leave this world, for a better one I hope, I wish to pay him tribute.

For a very long period of years, he bore his full share of the huge workload for paltry remuneration as a doctor and as the post-war Prime Minister. He proved most worthy of his elevation, but remained humble and did his best for Malta and the Maltese.

Sir Paul's accomplishments as district commissioner during the war, in the hard-hit Cottonera, Paola, Tarxien and Luqa areas, are well known.

Although Sir Paul is dead, his spirit is still with us in various laws which are now taken for granted, such as the Maltese language in the Law Courts, better primary education and some social services.

Dr Boffa was knighted for outstanding public services. Unfortunately, there is no indication of his Knighthood on his monument at Valletta, which is a shame.

Memories of Pawlu Boffa still linger on in the minds of some of us in the elderly bracket. Many present-day Maltese are not aware that Sir Gerald Strickland and Dr Boffa had campaigned for the building of St Luke's Hospital which commenced in 1930.