Today is the 27th anniversary of the election of Percival Noel James Patterson as president the People’s National Party (PNP). Two days later, on March 30, 1992, he was sworn in as Jamaica’s sixth prime minister, succeeding Michael Manley who had retired.

At the end of December 1991, Patterson resigned from the Cabinet, as did all ministers, so that Michael Manley, as prime minister, could set a new game board. Patterson’s resignation coincided with the then growing “Shell Waiver Scandal”. The new Cabinet, announced just after New Year’s Day 1992, did not include Patterson.

This was when Patterson quoted General Douglas McArthur of the US army when he said, “I shall return.”

Nearly three months later, Patterson had indeed returned; this time as prime minister. He is Jamaica’s longest-serving prime minister so far, having held the office for 14 out of the 18 years of PNP Government between 1989 and 2007.

Michael Manley, in his book The Politics of Change, wrote that with all of his high school and university training, there was never one word about why we should have good attitudes and why we should be our “brother’s keeper”. Was this part of the reason Patterson emphasised a need to change values and attitudes throughout his tenure as prime minister?

Unfortunately, while being prime minister, Patterson’s Values and Attitudes Programme was stifled, mainly by radio talk show hosts. Some spoke words to the effect of gospel verses like., “Physician, heal thyself,” “Take the log out of your own eye before seeing the sawdust in others,” and expressions using the word hypocrite.

Very few commentators looked at the fact that Patterson was prepared to do something about values and attitudes, no matter how he was personally perceived, especially in the matter of the Shell Waiver issue.

Patterson’s 27th anniversary of his famous ‘return’ coincides with the resignation of Ruel Reid from the Cabinet, which makes way for investigations into the Ministry of Education.

Corruption in Jamaica goes back to the time of the pirates in the late 17th century. Very little has been done to change the attitude of corruption and downright indiscipline in Jamaica since then.

In such a scenario of wrong attitudes, left to fester over the centuries, some politicians who have been in Government since the inception of universal adult suffrage in 1944 have practised the corruption rooted in the unfortunate tradition just as many other Jamaicans have.

The pirates became the aristocracy of Jamaica when land was sold cheaply to them in an attempt to stop piracy, keep the Treaty of Madrid and prevent war between European nations. Since that time there have been numerous acts of corruption in our history. But it has never been my opinion that because of our history we are helpless in doing something about it.

Indeed, in all of my adult life, especially as a government social worker in my earlier years, and as a volunteer social worker to this day, I have been in the business of trying to correct wrong values and attitudes. I am quite certain that I have done far more than many of my critics who accuse me of finding a scapegoat by “blaming the pirates”. Indeed, some of my critics might not be doing any form of voluntary service.

Since 1944 there have been ministers of government in Jamaica who have been convicted and imprisoned for acts of corruption. But this did not stop the late Neville Cleveland Lewis of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) from being elected three times after he left prison, and twice losing by margins of less than 20 votes. There have been other politicians on both sides who have been accused of corruption, but it never affected their ability to be re-elected. It is unfortunate for the JLP that all of the ex-ministers who went to prison were all members of the JLP. And this includes J A G Smith, who went to prison in the early 1990s after being convicted.

But that does not exonerate the PNP for acts of corruption, real or perceived. One recalls that Allan Coombs was fired by Norman Manley because he gave a contract to his brother-in law. One also recalls the findings of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation commission of enquiry in 1964 involving the then PNP-controlled council.

I argued last week in my column that, despite so many cases of corruption since 2016, it might not be the deciding factor in the by-election results in Portland Eastern, no matter who wins, whether Damion Crawford of the PNP or Ann-Marie Vaz of the JLP.

By the way, is it true that some people have already voted in the by-election scheduled for next week Thursday? I am not referring to police and soldiers who vote before the election to be ready for work on the day. Is the real reason for late openings of polling stations in past elections to pad the ballot boxes with extra votes? Both parties should ensure that the boxes are empty before the start of voting.

I will not discuss the issue involving Ruel Reid because he is still the current principal of Jamaica College of which I am a past student and where I help out as a volunteer in mentoring and guidance. Also, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. But I will give a true story.

In the Christmas term of 2012, which by Jamaican tradition was also football season that year, I was watching football practice at Jamaica College after classes were dismissed one afternoon. Boys being boys, sometimes the ball was kicked too far or too high and landed on top of parked cars.

I remarked to those nearby that the school should put up ‘no parking’ signs during football season and divert the parking to the area behind the buildings because I did not want the school to be sued for a broken windscreen.

A first former who heard me replied: “No, Sir, that would never happen. My father says Mr Reid can talk his way out of anything.”

I said nothing further.

Michael Burke is a research consultant, historian and current affairs analyst. Send comments to the Observer or ekrubm765@yahoo.com.