Speaking at the opening of the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Annual Officer’s Conference once again convened under the theme ‘Re-engineering to Enhance National Defence and Security’, Best stressed that defence and security are “serious business and require serious commitment and serious people” to be successful.
The most heinous of the many criminal acts involving members of the joint services were the murder of gold dealer Dwieve Kant Ramdass and the torture of a teenager and two other men at the Leonora Police Station. “The obvious criminal acts committed by some officers and ranks have been dealt with, some in the civil courts, some before our military courts, some have been dismissed and others have been disciplined summarily,” Best said.
According to the GDF Chief of Staff, he had addressed the “deviant behaviour” of some members of the joint services with other heads of the services. He said he had pointed out that the joint services were “suffering from a command and leadership deficit and while we were commanding by instrument we needed to lead by example and sacrifice.
“That exhortation still stands and those who are unable to meet those high and necessary expectations would no longer be suitable for leadership in the services.”
He said the changing face of crime and violence continues to be a significant challenge to the joint services even as he gave the commitment of the army in support of the police in the fight against rising crime and violence
Meanwhile, according to Best the conference continues the re-engineering process of the force, which commenced in January 2008 (shortly after he took over the helm of the army).
“The officers’ corps remains committed to the completion of this process, today we are beginning to see the fruits of our efforts and we are encouraged to persevere against all the challenges. We intend to complete the transformation of this force,” Best said.
The commodore said the army has already completed the organisational analysis of the force – one of the four “critical outputs” to complete the transformation – and a menu of recommendations will be used to foster the change the force needs. He said they are at the stage of completing a strategic defence review. No update was given of the strategic defence plan and a GDF multi-year developmental plan which round off the four “critical outputs”.
He said the force’s organisational analysis speaks to many issues and spells out “a clear vision for the force [and] envisions the development of a modern defence force… it details the immediate… and the strategic goals of the Guyana Defence Force.”
Some time this year, the GDF will launch its academic and technical vocation programmes to meet the order President Bharrat Jagdeo gave last year to prepare ranks for life after the army.
Best assured President Jagdeo, who was present at the opening, and the nation that the GDF was “committed to serve with all honestly, integrity and selflessness and our lives and values must continue to be exemplary in all areas and those who attempt to sully this good image, must be separated from us.”
