By Sue-Ann Wayow
FORMER People’s National Movement (PNM) senator Dr Lester Henry has died six days after he celebrated his 61st birthday.
He was a former treasurer of the party.
The PNM in a media release on Wednesday stated that Dr Henry’s contributions in the parliamentary debates were precise, informative and expert-driven.
He served as both an opposition senator for the PNM from 2010 to 2015 and then as a government senator from 2015 to 2020. He served on the PNM’s National Executive as the party’s treasurer from 2014-2018.
An economist by profession, Dr Henry was a senior lecturer at the University of the West Indies and the father of four children.
The release stated, “He was also an extraordinary sibling and son. Almost every Sunday morning, he would be a fixture alongside his father, PNM stalwart Mr Ferdie Fereira, as they sat on benches in the cool of the trees along the Queen’s Park Savannah, reading newspapers and discussing national issues with each other, sometimes joined by others strolling the Savannah on those mornings.”
PNM’s general secretary Foster Cummings said, “Lester was a brilliant but humble man who was always willing to share his expertise with his peers. He was very passionate about the party and would very often call or message me to discuss his views on a range of matters. I truly appreciated his contributions. It was an honour and a privilege to serve alongside him in both the House of Parliament and Balisier House. May his soul Rest in Peace.”
The party stated, “We salute his contribution to national development in the spheres of education and politics, and we are grateful to his family for sharing him with us.”
He was able to separate politics from the person
Former government minister Devant Maharaj also sent out condolences.
Maharaj spoke of his interactions with Dr Henry while Maharaj sat on the government benches in Parliament.
He said, “Not having a reputation for being a flamboyant, mark-bussing or media lime politician Lester was a politician who was firmly rooted in his field and that was his platform and relevance to the politics of Trinidad and Tobago. While many politicians lacking substance made more noise, breathing fire and brimstone,at every turn their content often paled to Lester’s contribution who many did not have the intellect to understand fully.”
He said that Dr Henry’s contributions in the Senate were all well thought out, well reasoned and delivered with a quiet and measured passion.
“While we were on opposing political sides outside of the Senate Chamber in the tearoom Lester was an affable person… Lester was one of those politicians on either side that had the rare ability to be able to separate the politics from the person,” Maharaj said.
