– new Chief of Staff (ag) says
AS Guyana’s General and Regional elections draws to a close, newly-appointed Chief of Staff (ag) of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Godfrey Bess has sworn the allegiance of the men and women under his command to a democratically-elected government, in accordance with the Constitution.
Bess made his position known on Wednesday on the sidelines of a ceremony to mark his promotion from Colonel to Brigadier to perform the functions of the office of Chief of Staff. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Baridi Benab on the grounds of State House, and saw the feature address coming from President David Granger.
Pressed by the media into saying what will the GDF’s position be moving forward, given the present impasse occasioned by the March 2, 2020 Elections, Brigadier made it clear that the Army is not guided by circumstance but by the Constitution of Guyana, which provides clear directions.
“We are trained to support the democratically-elected government of the day, based on our Constitution, and that we will continue to do. Our relationship with the civil authorities always is subordinate, and we take instructions; legal instructions… The GDF is a professional organisation, and we will stick to the Constitution of Guyana,” the newly-commissioned Chief of Staff said.
Bess, 51, replaces Brigadier Patrick West, who has since been granted accumulated leave.
Though the country is challenged by limited finances owing to the absence of a 2020 budget due to a successful no-confidence motion against the government, and the subsequent prolonged elections, Brigadier Bess said that members of the GDF have been trained to operate with minimal resources.
He said: “What do we do when resources are minimal? Our training that we receive helps us to create, I would say, opportunities to fight against those challenges. So, training in the Guyana Defence Force we take it seriously, and it helps us in these times of challenges.”
Brigadier West, 54, served as the country’s 10th Chief of Staff. In his brief address, President Granger recognised the outgoing officer’s contribution to the Force, saying that he has “a very good foundation” to continue on.
In his remarks on Wednesday, the new Chief of Staff (ag) said that he looks forward to executing his duties to the best of his ability, and with the highest level of professionalism.
“I bring to this appointment, performing the duties of the Chief of Staff, energy. The Guyana Defence Force has been mandated by law to defend and protect our national patrimony. As the Chief of Staff, I see it as a sacrosanct duty, and we will work hard to ensure that we continue to defend the integrity of this country,” he said.
Brigadier Bess is the holder of a Bachelor of Social Science Degree in Business Management, and a Level Two Association of Chartered Certified Accountants certificate. He began his military career in 1990, serving in Command, Administrative, Staff and Training appointments. He has been serving as Quarter Master General since January 1, 2018.
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_07_03_2020