Even with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at the helm, People’s National Movement stalwart and former attorney general John Jeremie believes that T&T is still searching for “enlightened leadership.”
Jeremie made the comment at the first anniversary memorial service of the late prime minister Patrick Manning yesterday.
Past and present government ministers, as well as hundreds of PNM supporters flooded the St Paul’s Anglican Church in San Fernando yesterday to honour Manning.
Rowley did not attend, but Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson Regis, Housing Minister Randall Mitchell, Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Energy Nicole Olliviere were present.
Jeremie and former ministers Joan Yuille-Williams, Gary Hunt, Arnold Piggott and Peter Taylor were also in attendance.
Paying tribute to Manning, Jeremie said citizens should reflect on his contribution to T&T’s development.
“Today more than ever we stand in need of strength and stability. A nation unsure and divided looks again to us for enlightened leadership,” Jeremie said.
He added that Manning’s “towering presence was a testament to the use of power.”
“Manning was not concerned with how power uses us. His concern was the use of power in the furtherance of social and economic objectives.
“He knew despair, he lost national elections as many as he won.
“Patrick Manning was in the end faithful to his vision and purpose. In retrospect, we can see today that his concern for justice and his sensitivity drove him throughout his time in public office.”
Rev Claude Berkley, who delivered the sermon, said those who were unkind to Manning before his death had a year to reflect.
“If you were wrong it is good to say you were wrong for your discourtesy, impoliteness and unkindness and if you cannot admit you were wrong, you should continue to reflect,” Berkley said.
Manning died on July 2 last year, a week after he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, a form of cancer. In 2008, he had a cancerous tumour removed from a kidney during a surgery in Cuba.
In 2004 he had a pace maker implanted and in 2012 he suffered a debilitating stroke.
He bowed out of politics ahead of the 2015 general election and died a year later.
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