Dear Editor,

I WRITE today with a heavy heart, burdened by what the media is attempting to do to the unblemished character of Dr Mark Bynoe, Director of the Department of Energy. What they are attempting to do will inevitably fail, but this knowledge is unlikely to make it less distressing to Dr Bynoe. Before I go further I must state that Dr Bynoe is completely unaware of this letter, therefore these thoughts are completely my own.

I have known Dr Bynoe for many years. As a matter of fact, I’ve known Dr Bynoe since I was a teenager. Dr Bynoe was the rector of the church I attended before I migrated. Dr Bynoe earned the respect of the entire congregation despite his tender age. Dr Bynoe has always been beyond reproach, taking his spiritual journey not down the easy, well trodden path, but down a path lined with thorns as directed by God. Dr Bynoe did not take a solitary walk, but took the congregation with him, the weak and spiritually infirm along with the strong and spiritually mighty. Dr Bynoe has always been apolitical and impartial. He lived by the word and I’m certain he will die by the word.

I last saw Dr Bynoe when I visited Guyana in April of this year. His belief in God had not diminished. Rather, it has grown, if that was ever possible. He remains humble, very humble, shaking the hands of all with his characteristic smile. His oratorical skills are a complete mismatch to his humility. A man, unmatched by those who are trying to discredit him. A man whom I know would be the first to forgive and forget.

I would always remember the human side of Dr Bynoe. As a kid our house did not have electricity because it had fallen to the ground. I studied under the light of the neighbourhood shop until our evangelist and our rector, Dr Bynoe found out. I was given a key to the church, to utilise at nights, to study. In the church was a chair that was my bed for years. Dr Bynoe was a pillar of support. The motivation I needed. While I was in medical school, he left to pursue studies in the UK. On his return, he remained humble. If today I have become a person of minimal success, that minimal success I owe to people like Dr Bynoe, who provided a shoulder for me to lean on when I was spiritually and physically ataxic.

I will always remember the Bible classes Dr Bynoe conducted with us the youths, on Sunday nights. I will always remember the passionate debates he would stimulate as he took us along that spiritual journey; those nights will forever remain indelible in my spiritual heart.

As stated earlier, I last saw Dr Bynoe in April of this year. He remained the man I’ve known for years: spiritual, humble, beyond reproach, apolitical, objective, an academic, an intellectual in that order.

As a result, it hurts my heart to see what the media is doing to him. The aspersions, the innuendos, the character assassination. Mentally,Dr Bynoe is made of steel, but he is human. If the media continue along this path, in my opinion Guyana may lose a very special and incomparable man of the soil.

Regards
Dr Mark Devonish