$250M Xmas bonus for Disciplined Forces
-- but President serves warning
By Mark Ramotar
Guyana Chronicle
December 22, 2006
COMMANDER in Chief of the Armed Forces President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday announced a $250M Christmas bonus for the Army and other Disciplined Forces but forewarned that any bonus next year will be based strictly on performance.
The President’s announcement of the bonus, equivalent to one month’s salary for members of the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Prison Service, was greeted with thunderous applause from the ranks at the Army’s Camp Ayanganna headquarters during the annual Soldiers’ Day Christmas lunch and get together.
The Christmas bonus is in addition to the six per cent increase in salaries, retroactive to January 1, 2006, for the Army and the other Disciplined Forces that has already been announced by the government.
The shocking disappearance of 30 high-powered AK-47 rifles from its headquarters and the murder of a young Army cadet this year has tarnished the image, credibility and honour of the Guyana Defence Force and there were ‘whispers’ in some quarters about whether the Army deserved a bonus in the face of these “embarrassing moments”.
But while President Jagdeo lamented the “embarrassing moments” yesterday and called for urgent efforts to recover the missing weapons to restore lost honour in the Army, he also lauded the soldiers for doing exceedingly well in several areas this year.
“Many of you don’t know me personally (although) you might hear all kinds of things about me, but you ask the Chief of Staff – I am no rubber stamp…,” the Commander in Chief declared, to an eruption of appreciative laughter from the soldiers.
“From next year, whatever I have to give would be based on performance. You are not going to lose thirty-one AK-47s next year and then expect me to give a bonus,” he admonished.
“But I will make that (effective) from next year because I need to warn you beforehand…I am giving you an entire year’s warning,” he said.
Acknowledging that he is “taking a lot of flak” for giving them a bonus, in spite of the fact that the GDF had the “biggest loss in weaponry in the history of this country”, the President said he decided to still grant “a month’s bonus.”
“It has been very difficult because we have had to spend this year several billions of dollars on elections…so we have had a lot of unbudgeted expenses and the one month bonus this year is going to cost us close to $250M, so you can understand the magnitude of it.”
LOOKING FOR PERFORMANCE
“We have made some adjustments because we think you deserved it but please, next year when I come here…I am looking for performance,” the Head of State declared.
“Your bonus will be based on performance (and) I give you a whole year of warning so next year if you don’t get anything, don’t blame me,” Mr. Jagdeo told the soldiers.
The President also lauded the Army and the other Disciplined Forces for playing a “big role” during the August elections.
“I did deploy the military on elections day and the military did give a great account of itself on that day,” he said to loud cheers from the Army personnel.
“It shows that in countries like ours, the military can move away from its traditional role of defence of our territorial integrity to more mundane but important roles in supporting national development and the maintenance of internal stability.”
“However, all did not go well (and) the Chief of Staff spoke (Wednesday) about the embarrassment to him and the leadership of the Army with regards to the loss of the weapons, which is the biggest loss of weapons we have ever had in the history of the Army…it is an embarrassment to him (Brigadier General Edward Collins) but also an embarrassment to me as Commander in Chief,” the President said.
Speaking to reporters after he addressed soldiers at Camp Stephenson, Timehri Wednesday, Collins said while the enquiry into the disappearance of the weapons has been completed and a “multitude of breaches” identified, the questions of who exactly moved the weapons and to where were left unanswered.
He said “three or four” officers are likely to be charged and face disciplinary measures for failing to obey regulations.
President Jagdeo said that many times, as Commander in Chief, he has had to defend the military and this has not been an easy task.
“A lot of people say to me why are you defending the military and why don’t you hold them to greater account and from time to time you hear me criticise the military - not because I don’t support the overall work done by the military, but if I am displeased in a particular instance then you would hear me express that displeasure,” he said.
“It has nothing to do with my overall support for the Army which is reflected in the numbers - both in the budget to the military and in my support in terms of policy,” he added.
The President, however, said “there are times when these embarrassments cannot be swept away” and the best way of dealing with it is to recover the missing weapons.
“The honour and creditability of the military is at stake and the Chief of Staff was right when he said it was a huge embarrassment, but we have to reverse that and I want that the investigators should go wherever the trail takes them because no person, no position or no institution is off limits to this investigation,” the President declared.
He also urged the Army to rededicate its efforts to finding the weapons and “put more people if necessary to pursue this in a way that ultimately we can restore the honour of the defence force”.
“The restoration of that honour is part of my job as Commander in Chief,” Mr. Jagdeo said.
Thirteen of the 30 AK-47 rifles discovered missing in February have been recovered and the Army Chief of Staff had assured that in keeping with President Jagdeo’s directive that the weapons be recovered, the Army is doing all within its power.