Tribute to Dr Gordon Lightbourn

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The Northern Caribbean University (NCU) family mourns the tragic passing of our colleague and friend, Dr Gordon Lightbourn, and we express our deepest sympathies to his family.

Unfortunately, gunmen have once again carried out their dastardly deed by taking the life of one so valuable, not just to the NCU family, but to all who knew him. His body was discovered with gunshot wounds at his Christiana home last Friday.

Dr Lightbourn served as an associate professor in the Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science at NCU. He was a vital part of the national drive for self-sufficiency in the production of Irish potato, and took seriously his role of producing Irish potato seedlings in the lab for distribution to farmers in central Jamaica.

His tragic and untimely demise highlights the unacceptable level of crime and violence in the society, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We call on the authorities to urgently find a solution to this great and appalling malady we call crime.

Failure to do so will render all of our efforts towards growth and development in vain, and doom our nation to the increasing levels of corruption and stagnation. After 58 years of Independence, surely we are mature enough to tame this monster of crime and offer a more hopeful future for the citizens of this country.

The desire for Jamaica to become the place to live, work, do business, and raise families must find expression in more than mere words on the pages of a document, but leadership must give vigour, life, and meaning to those words, so that they leap from the written pages to become actualised. There will be a cost, and the Government must be transparent with the populace and bold in its action so that together, in unity, we can finally conquer the scourge of criminality and violence.

We appreciate all the expressions of goodwill that have been extended to the family of Dr Lightbourn and to the NCU family, and pray that our leaders may, under God, do more to advance the welfare of the people of Jamaica, land we love.

LINCOLN EDWARDS

President

Northern Caribbean University