The United Progressive Party (UPP) has released an official tribute celebrating the life and legacy of Ernest Benjamin, the party’s former Assistant General Secretary, who passed away recently. Remembered as a detail-oriented administrator, a distinguished public servant and a vocal champion for transparent, effective governance, Benjamin left an indelible mark on both the party and the broader national community. The party has formally extended its deepest condolences to Benjamin’s surviving family members, including his children Terry Ann and Vaughn, as well as all of his extended relatives.
Throughout his decades-long affiliation with the UPP, Benjamin served the organization in a range of leadership roles, earning widespread respect across the party for his extraordinary dedication to accurate, thorough documentation. A legendary example of his meticulous work ethic saw him produce a 20-page typed set of minutes from a single routine executive meeting, a feat that remains a cornerstone of his legacy within the party. The UPP emphasized that Benjamin’s unwavering commitment to orderly process, structural accountability and adherence to constitutional principles grew out of his long and distinguished career in public service.
During his time in the public sector, Benjamin climbed the ranks to reach the senior position of permanent secretary, holding the post within the Ministry of Economic Development when Lester Bird, who later served as prime minister, held the role of Deputy Prime Minister. It was during Benjamin’s tenure as permanent secretary that the St. John’s Development Corporation, a key entity tasked with advancing growth in the nation’s capital, was formally established.
A lifelong resident of St. John’s, Benjamin also dedicated years of volunteer service as secretary of the UPP’s St. John’s City South Branch, where he actively advocated for the creation of a formal mayor and city council structure to guide the capital’s long-term development. Beyond his local and party work, Benjamin was a committed West Indian nationalist who prioritized advancing good governance and electoral fairness across the region. He collaborated closely with the Free and Fair Election League, and even as his health began to decline in later years, he continued his public engagement by co-hosting a weekly educational program on local station Progressive FM.
In the closing lines of the tribute, the UPP reaffirmed its deep gratitude for Benjamin’s exceptional, selfless contributions to the party and the nation. Nodding to his famous reputation for meticulous record-keeping, the party closed with a warm, playful tribute: “when the next assembly of angels is called up yonder, Ernest will be called upon to take the minutes.” The tribute concluded, “Farewell, Ernest, our esteemed brother. Rest in peace until we meet again.”