President Dr. Irfaan Ali today praised members of the Joint Services for their courage, discipline and dedication, while declaring that Guyana’s sovereignty is neither negotiable nor for sale.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces delivered the remarks following the Joint Services Route March in Georgetown, as part of Guyana’s 60th Independence Anniversary celebrations.
The parade got underway at exactly 7:00 hours and featured members of the Joint Services, Scouts Association, veterans, steel pan orchestra and military bands in a powerful display of discipline, unity and national pride. The march proceeded along Vlissengen Road onto Brickdam, Camp Street, Church Street, Irving Street and concluded outside Base Camp Ayangana.
The President said Independence was more than a ceremony, describing it as a covenant that must be safeguarded through vigilance, discipline and national unity.
“Guyana is a nation rich in land, rivers and immense resources. And where there is wealth, there is always a hungry eye. Our territorial integrity has been threatened before. It will never be threatened again. Not only with words, but with a threat of incursions and pressures dressed in diplomacy. Therefore, let the message travel far and wide. Guyana’s sovereignty is not for sale and not for taking. And our joint services have the mission of ensuring that mission remains true,” he asserted.
The Head of State emphasised the importance of safeguarding Guyana’s 83,000 square miles, including its jungles, rivers and maritime space, while reminding ranks that vigilance remains the enduring price of liberty.
Changing course, President Ali told ranks that while protecting the country’s borders from external forces remains their first priority, they must also ensure that homes and communities are protected from threats such as organized crime, domestic violence and other forms of instability.
“I ask you, the members of our joint services, to look inward. Independence also means freedom from fear, within, gang, drug trafficking, domestic violence, organised crime, arson, prison unrest. These are the termites that hollow a nation from within. Internal order is a soil where freedom grows. You, the joint services, are not just enforcers. You are guardians of a mother’s right to sleep in peace,” he said.
Joint service members were also urged to remain disciplined and alert, while encouraging citizens to continue supporting and respecting the nation’s men and women in uniform.