Dear Editor,
Stabroek News, on June 17, published a very curious letter to the editor by Clement J Rohee under the caption, ‘There is concern over the sidelining of civilians because of military appointments to public posts’. The letter contains a long list of retired members of the Joint Services who were employed by the current government. However, there was no mention of those who served in the previous government. I can vividly recall visiting Jonestown in Region 1 after the massacre. Despite the massive destruction at that location where 913 persons committed suicide or were murdered I saw a signboard standing firmly on a platform with the following bold letters on it, “Those Who Cannot Remember The Past Are Condemned To Repeat It.” These words were appropriate then, and they are even more relevant today to the issue under review. Mr Rohee gave us his spin on things, which was one side of the coin, but neglected to mention the other side. Perhaps, because of constraint of space there was an act of omission. Let there be some amount of balance and no subtle attempt to distort history. Here is a list of some distinguished members of the Joint Services who after retirement served the previous government in diverse capacities, including working with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Many of the above mentioned retirees easily rolled over to the government of the day and are delivering the highest quality of service to the citizens of Guyana as they did under the previous administration. There are several more retired Joint Services officers who can be added to the list. However, I feel it is a good point to end the roster after citing 25 names.
Please permit me to be pellucid for fear of being branded political. I was never a member of any political party. I have no party card. I never voted at any general or regional election. I have no political ambition. I am not holding any brief for the government. However, I have an abiding interest in law enforcement, hence my regular letters to the press. I believe in justice and fair play. I am apolitical.
Yours faithfully,
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ret’d)
