Vernon Derby's Speech - Bureau Of Standards Long Service Awards

 

1         INTRODUCTIONS

Masters of Ceremony, Mr. Oraine Wallace and Miss Tanisha Mattis, The Honourable Dr. Norman Dunn, MP – Minister of State, in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce. Mr. Phillip Armstrong - Chairman, Standards, Council Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ); Other Council Members; Dr. Velton Gooden - Executive Director of the BSJ. Dr. Lorice Edwards-Brown – Chief Executive Officer for the National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA); Other distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Notice that I did not come up here and said ‘All Protocols Observed’.  I am at the Bureau of Standards and it is all about excellence today.

You will notice also that I have left out one group. When I was in Trelawny as a child…. and you get yu nice plate a food….. di nicest part was the meat. I use to leave the meat for last….. but by di time I said, “for health strength and daily food” di meat disappeared. So now you know I usually leave the meat for last – the best part of the meal.

The persons who I have left for last - those who have served, and have served well. Today we are recognizing them. Ladies and gentlemen let us put our hands together for the Bureau of Standards Awardees 2019 and 2020.

It is said that the most important asset in an organization is not listened on the balance. Ignore that asset and your business can operate at a loss. That asset is your human resource.

 

2         RISE

Today as we are gathered here, it is all about R.I.S.E. Recognizing Integrity Service and Excellence.

If each one of us, have that embedded in our DNA and it becomes a part of our culture then this country shall RISE from the ashes of crime, corruption, lack of respect for one another and a place where everything is…. a no nutten.

We have economic challenges and if Recognizing Integrity Service and Excellence does not form the foundation of what we do in this country then Jamaica shall not RISE.

If Recognizing Integrity Service and Excellence is not a part of every organization – be it public or private, then we shall not rise from the depth of hell that we have been in for too long now.

If Recognizing Integrity, Service and Excellence does not form the basis of our educational system then education by itself will take us nowhere.

The family is the basic social unit of the society. Now, if within the family structure we do not Recognize Integrity, Service and Excellence as the basis of developing our families, then the family will become dysfunctional and so will the society.

3         CORRUPTION AND CRIME

We are talking about integrity in Jamaica…Integrity? The Director of losses operations and analytics at JPS, Rasheed Anderson, said in 2018 that the light and power company estimates that approximately 200,000 households and commercial entities are stealing electricity. This compared to the approximately 600,000 legitimate customers. So, the 600,000 pay for the 200,000. I am almost sure that figure is increasing by the day.[1]

If children grow up seeing madda a tief, fada a tief, den pickney no just join di tiefin line too. Di same Pickney bright and pass 10 CXC, get first degree with honours and second degree with distinction and them becomes a Judge, the Prime Minister, the Governor General, or even a Bishop of Jamaica – more than likely tiefing will still be in his or her DNA. What a country what a life!

We live in a country where a leader in the private sector suggested that the most notorious criminal in this country could be used to promote the need to take the Covid-19 vaccine. Sometimes I wonder if it is the Covid-19 we should worry about.

4         THAT OLD LADY WHO CHANGED THE DIRECTION

I must tell you this positive story which has given me hope. An old lady called me one Sunday morning very distressed about this matter of that notorious criminal and she begged me to do something about it. She was horrified to believe that it would take a convicted murderer to convince the people of this country to take the Covid-19 vaccine.  I told her that she needs to do something about it. She said to me, “Mr. Derby I am an old woman I cannot do anything”.

I told the old lady that she needs to write me a letter sharing her thoughts about the matter, and I would share it with the powers that be. She said to me, “Mr. Derby you are going to put my name and make them come kill me”.

I said to myself that this lady could not be worrying about her life now, because when death knocks you cannot say that you are from Wait-A-Bit in Trelawny so death….Wait-A-Bit.

I told the lady to send me the letter and I would not add her name. Her letter along with my comments was posted on my Facebook page and also on my Bark Di Trute blog site. By Monday morning she called me and said, “Mr. Derby, my letter is all over the place. The Jamaica Observe carried the letter with my picture posted, and of course they found the ugliest picture of me to post. Oh yes, I got calls from politicians, church leaders and persons kept circulating that letter from that old lady.  Oh yes, each one of us can make a difference and good people must start to unite with good people for the good of this county to make a difference. That is a good way of Recognizing Integrity, Service and Excellence. Let’s ensure that those who do not, Recognize Integrity, Service and Excellence spend a very long time in her majesty’s hotel. Recognizing awardees like you who have Integrity, You, who have given Service and you have shown that Excellence has been your hallmark, that is the way Jamaica shall RISE.

5         WRONG EMPHASIS

Too many of us put far too much emphasis on academic qualifications, money, power and fame. All these shall pass away one day, because from the earth we came and to the earth we shall return.

Jamaica needs to RISE and we need to start with our youths. We put our youngsters through an educational system where many just memorize and regurgitate. You remember Big Boy; he would  copy everything from somebody else’s examination paper and he would also copy the person’s name. The Big Boy philosophy is still alive.

Once upon a time they use to read for their degrees at the University of the West Indies but now some just copy and paste. It would be great if they could copy and paste integrity. However, you cannot teach nor copy and paste integrity; you need to socialize our people so that they become a person of integrity.

6         A CHARACTER-BUILDING PROGRAMME FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Some of you might recall that I was the head of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme here in Jamaica. A programme where youngsters learnt to work as a team, give service and participate in extra curricula activities. It is a character-building programme. I am not for one moment saying that we should go back to that programme which is linked to our colonial masters, but we need a character building and recognition programme for young people in Jamaica. We give successful business men OJs and others ODs and CDs but what national system do we have in place to recognize our young people to encourage Integrity, Service and Excellence?

 

7         RECOGNIZING OUR WORKERS

We also need a formal system for recognizing our workers in the public sector who give exceptional service and we should reward them accordingly. Yu neva hear say encouragement sweetens labour? Give them a title such as Gold Distinguished Worker…. Put a little sweetness eena dem pocket man. One should not have to be promoted to be a manager when you are not management material, simple because you perform well as a worker. We sometimes reward a good worker by promoting him or her to a management position. You end up removing that excellent worker from the workforce and making him or her into a dysfunctional member of the management team.

8         THE LAWS

In our country we have many laws. There is one which I know you are all aware of…. the Public Bodies Management and Accountability Act and also The Financial Administration and Audit Act. We have the Auditor General and the Integrity Commission but the man on the street will tell you that if you tief two ackee yu fool. Move off with all half a billion and you are seen as a star. We should never forget that many wanted Cash Plus and they ended up getting Cash Minus. We are still paying for that today and the conceptualizes have gotten away scotch free as far as I know.

Let me not go any further for fear of being too controversial and I don’t want to make controversy kill the message. But I will say, those who have ears to hear, let them hear. 

9         THANKS FOR INVITING ME

I must thank you for inviting me to share my thoughts with you. When I was called, I was asked to send something about myself and I really did not know what to say. I do not walk around with titles and honours; I am not perfect and I have made many mistakes and one such mistake is sometimes I forget that I have to take care of myself. I would like to believe though, that you have invited me because you wanted someone to say it as it is, someone who has served and looked for no returns, someone who enjoys serving and someone who would like to see this place be a better place.

10    PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

The President of the Council of Churches, Rev. Newton Dixon told me, “Workers contribute some $70 billion directly from their earnings (and then turn around and pay GCT, gas tax, transfer tax and a multitude of others). You are 1.2 million strong which means you help to support and provide for the other 1.7 million of our people who do not or cannot work. You are our nation's most valuable asset! Yet, you are still underpaid and overworked. It is note-worthy that you have survived but it is no surprise because of your indomitable, never-say-die, putting-up-resistance, "tun yuh han mek fashion" spirit. You prevail with the strength of the Almighty One and the resilience and strength which you've garnered from the trials and triumphs of your ancestors.

11    KAVAN GAYLE

Mr. Kavan Gayle President of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union said to me, “We must always recognize the working class for their contribution to the building of this country. They have worked with class.

 

12    DR. LOIS WALTERS

Dr. Lois C.A. Walters, President Human Resource Manage Association of Jamaica in her message to me says, “Recognizing employees & workers in the workspace for their service excellence builds the foundational principles of integrity and trust. Trust and honesty are the fabrics from which relationships of integrity in the workforce are designed. RISE - that is, recognition, integrity, service and excellence-is how we begin the process of repairing the damage done to our work ethic and raise the low trust embedded in our culture and society.”

13    I CHALLENGE THE BUREAU OF STANDARDS

I say I challenge the Bureau of Standards to continue to do its work ….. I know that money is tight but organizations like the Bureau of Standards Jamaica must get the needed funds to serve this nation.

I know that you have worked on the National Building Code and as far as I know it has not been incorporated into the law as yet. We are still waiting.

I do hope that the various parish councils and other organization are working with you so that you can carry out the required tests to ensure that our buildings are properly built.

I would love you to play a greater role in determining the standards for road construction and road maintenance. Too often potholes that are fixed seem to last just for the next rainy season.

I would love you to review the packaging and labeling of goods in this country. Many things are not packaged securely and person can therefore put foreign materials into these products.

Products such as flour if not packed properly can be contaminated.

Proper labelling is required so that we can know what we are eating.

We also need to encourage the state to stop importing electrical appliances which uses 60 cycles instead of 50 cycle electrical power as provided by the JPS. 

14    CLOSING

In closing I must say it was great to be here. It is great to be in the company of persons who have helped to ensure that standards are maintained. There are other standards which are falling dramatically in this country but I don’t think that your mandate covers those things. Things like common courtesies - good morning, excuse me, thanks – words which seemed to have disappeared from our vocabulary.

Today I say especially to those of you who have served. I know it is a rough road and  a mighty long way to go. Those who are retiring will realize that this society has lost respect for those who have served but this society belongs to you as much as it belongs to the younger generation.  You must continue to make your voices be heard.

I do hope that one of these days that retirement will become an option for the retiree and the employer. The days of denying our elderly a job is a form of discrimination. Politicians do not retire so why should the rest of us.

To all of you, never give up. I am an expert at not giving up. I once faced the gun and I never gave up...I feigned a heart attack and I lived to tell the tale.  I face death about two years ago and I never gave up. They have tried to push me out of a job many times in the past, I never gave up. Those who tried to push me have ended up pushing themselves out of a job. I am still not giving up and why should you – only when the good Lord is ready for you …then and only then you have to give up that last breath.

15    TWO FROGS

Before I leave, I must tell you the story of two frogs:

Two frogs fell in a deep bowl.
One was an optimistic soul,
But the other took the gloomy view.
"We shall drown", and he cried adieu.

So, with a last despairing cry,
he flung up his legs and said goodbye.
The other frog quoted with a merry grin,
"I can't get out, but I won't give in!"

I'll just swim around till my strength is spent,
then will I die the more content.
Bravely he swam till it would seem,
his struggles began to churn the cream.

On top of the butter at last he stopped,
and out of the bowl he gaily hopped.
What is the moral? 'Tis easily found -
if you can't hop out, keep swimming around.

 

Let’s continue to live in hope, hope backed by faith and faith supported by action. We will never give up. Jamaica is too much a beautiful place for us to give up on. Yes Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica Land we Love.

Thanks for inviting me. I love you all.  Walk Good my friend.

 

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[1] https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/front-page/us-35-m-theft-utility-firms-report-heavy-losses_140375