Five day funeral service planned for former Trinidad & Tobago president

The Trinidad and Tobago government says five days of funeral services will be held to honor the life of former president Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson who died earlier this week after a prolonged illness.  National Security Minister Gary Griffith, who is chairing a committee planning the funeral service of the 87-year-old Robinson, said the former prime minister, would be laid to rest at the Scarborough Methodist Cemetery in Robinson’s homeland of Tobago.

Griffith told reporters at the end of the weekly Cabinet meeting on Thursday that there would be two funerals for Robinson over the five-day period, but it has not yet decided whether the services in Trinidad and Tobago would take place between April 29 to May 3 or from April 24 to April 28.

The final dates for the funeral will be made public after consultation with Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar and Robinson’s family.  Robinson’s body will lie in state in a closed casket draped with the national flag at the Parliament building for two days with a funeral service taking place at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in the capital.

Griffith said the funeral service at NAPA will be preceded by a procession of a military cortege with full honors.  Following the funeral service in Trinidad, the body will be flown to Tobago where it will lie in state at the Legislative Chamber of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) with a service of thanksgiving taking place on the fifth day.

Robinson’s final committal and burial will be conducted at the Scarborough Methodist Cemetery with full military honour following the ceremony.  Griffith said in addition to activities planned for the five-day period, official condolence books will be available for signing from April 14 at various locations across the country.