Punctuality is a hallmark of excellence

Dear Editor,

On Friday, March 4, I attended the launching of Men’s Affairs Bureau at the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown. Present were members of the Cabinet, ministers of the various ministries, ministers of the Gospel, members of the diplomatic community and other distinguished personalities in our beloved nation of Guyana. It was an occasion I did not want to miss, so I went about my day meticulously setting aside several things that were important to me for that hour and in so doing I was there at the official launching time, 3pm or 1500 hrs. However, the official programme did not start until 3.40 pm, only when the Permanent Secretary Mr Trevor Thomas came to the podium and announced that the President, Mr Bharrat Jagdeo had called to say he would be late and so they could start the proceedings.

By this time there was heckling going on all over the place. I heard words like: “It looking bad.” Nevertheless, the programme started. The first item on the official programme was the National Anthem followed by a prayer, but there was no prayer.  However, the other speakers came on and said what they had to say, which was both inspirational and informative.  This whole vision of enabling and empowering men to fulfil their true potential as fathers, husbands, partners and role models is much needed in our society, and I am heartened by the very thought that the Ministry of  Human Services has undertaken to partner with Rev Patrick Findlay to institutionalize this move.  This is highly commendable and I am certain the scores of men that were present will agree with me.

Dr Marlon Hestick made some timely remarks in his introductory statement as well as Minister Priya Manickchand. Not to forget the inspirational poem from UG student Yaphet Jackman.  Bishop Kwame Gilbert is always on the ball as a public speaker.  His perspective on such issues is sound.

But now comes the arrival of the President. As he made his way into the hallway a shortened version of the National Anthem was played and all stood to attention. He came in at exactly 4.40 pm or 16:40 hrs, one hour, five minutes after the late start and one hour forty minutes after the official starting time of 3 pm.  Then come the travesty that I had to grapple with after all the marvellous speeches by the persons on the programme. President Jagdeo came to the podium reserved for him to say he was not late and doesn’t need to apologize, because when he called his protocol officer and asked how many persons were present at 3 o’clock, they told him the place was almost empty, so he went on to do other things.

This I find hard to believe, because I was there at 2.55 pm when I parked my car, and by the time I entered it was three o’clock and there were over sixty or seventy person there expecting to start at the appointed time – foreign diplomats and ministers of the government being among the many present.  We definitely have a problem; being late is offensive, unacceptable, disrespectful and counterproductive. Time is the only commodity that you cannot buy back. It speaks volumes about our behaviour when we accept late-coming and late starts as the norm. This is one of the ills of society. I cannot begin to rehearse the many occasions both secular and religious when I was subjected to a late start.  That kind of thinking gives rise to many of the ills of society. The traditional mentality says that if everybody is late I can be late too; if everybody can litter the streets, no problem, I can too; if a man can batter his wife and brutalize his children then I can too.

I cannot help it if I was exposed  to a more excellent way. You see Editor, I am the son of London’s first Black immigrant Mayor, and my father told me over thirty-three years ago that as a member of the Hammersmith City Council for eighteen years he was never late at council meetings. This man was honoured by the Queen of England not once, not twice, but many times.  There are two buildings in West London named after him – a school and a community centre.  There is more I can say on being late, but because I am a modest person I will let it rest here and hope and pray that we do not fall into the mould of our beloved President who assumes that it was his privilege to be late, although he convinced no one present.

I trust that the Men’s Affairs Bureau will strive for excellence and be punctual at all times. For in my book punctuality is a hallmark of excellence.

Yours faithfully,
Vanrick Beresford