Colonel Craig resigned from the GDF of his own free will

Dear Editor,
I wish to respond to a false statement in an article titled “Guyanese Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig appointed Deputy Executive Director of CDEMA” which was published by Village Voice on 4th November 2022.
The article claims that Colonel Craig was removed from the post of Director General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) last July by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government. That is a blatant lie.
Let me set the record straight according to the facts that exist. Colonel Kester Craig was never removed by the PPP Government. The records show that Colonel Craig tendered his resignation, or according to military terms, requested to be struck off strength, via a letter dated 8th April, 2022. Colonel Craig’s resignation was addressed to the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Godfrey Bess, and copied to the Honourable Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips and the Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Derrick Cummings.
I take the liberty to point out that in Colonel Craig’s resignation letter, he clearly stated that he was interested in seeking new opportunities and pursuing his dreams after having spent the entirety of his youth serving Guyana and the people for the past twenty-five years. As a result, Colonel Craig requested permission to proceed on pre-retirement leave before his resignation takes effect on 15th February, 2023 according to his file. In fact, Colonel Craig also shared his gratitude and pleasure for being able to serve, and he committed to ensuring a smooth transition in handing over operations at the CDC.
The fact is that Colonel Craig remained the Director General of the CDC and continued to serve in that capacity, even after the new PPP Civic Government took office in August 2020. Colonel Craig worked very closely with the PPP/C Government, reporting directly to the Honourable Prime Minister on matters under the purview of the CDC, up until he proceeded on pre-retirement leave.
I, therefore, hope this clarifies any misconceptions and implore that facts be checked before assertions are made and falsehoods are peddled.

Sincerely,
Vanelda Harris
Personal Assistant
to the Honourable
Prime Minister
Office of the
Prime Minister