Salmon implores leaders to resist allure of corruption

WITH NEW cases of alleged fraud coming to public attention days into the new year, David Salmon, the sole youth voice at the 43rd annual National Leadership Prayer Breakfast, pleaded with the nation’s leaders to fight corruption.

Speaking at the event on Thursday, the 2023 Jamaica Rhodes Scholar placed the principle of honesty in the spotlight.

“I take this opportunity to charge our leaders to resist the allure of corruption as this rot has undermined our communities and the principles of fairness and justice. If we can maintain this fixity of purpose, then with our battle, we shall see the absolute victory in defeating crime,” said Salmon, who spoke on behalf of youth across the nation.

“We must not be afraid to be standardbearers of integrity.

“Today, I also charge the youth of Jamaica to live with integrity and promise ... . Fight to create a new Jamaica … . We must also have a consensus on crime and maintain an unwavering commitment to its implementation. Placing our communities at the centre of these discussions is essential,” he said.

Salmon also said that numerous lives could have been saved if there was an anger check on the part of citizens, fairness in executing justice, and not showing partiality to any group.

“Achieving a lasting peace requires a recognition of the importance of placing God at the centre of our many choices. It also demands a commitment to treat our neighbours with the respect that they deserve. The scriptures highlight this fact in Matthew 22:37-38 when Jesus shared that the two greatest commandments were to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, and secondly, love your neighbour as yourself,” Salmon said.

“To rebuild our communities, we must recognise this simple fact: we are all each other’s keepers. As children of Jamaica, if our brothers or sisters stumble, then we stumble. If they are oppressed, our security isn’t assured. Acknowledging this simple truth is essential to building an enduring peace,” he said.

He also said that this year’s theme, ‘Strengthening Communities Through Peace, Justice and Forgiveness’, is timely given that several communities across Jamaica are currently in crisis.