GBARNGA, Bong – The Liberia Immigration Service has graduated 182 officers following a 14-day in-service training at the Regional Justice and Security Hub in Gbarnga.
The class marks the seventh batch of the in-service training exercise, which is being implemented with the support of the United Nations Development Program.
Sierra Leone’s Chief of Immigration, Alusine Kanneh, who delivered the keynote address, urged the graduating officers to uphold the value of the service and use the knowledge, skills, and expertise necessary to excel in their roles.
He urged the graduates to utilize the knowledge gained at the training to create a safer community in their respective assignment areas.
Kanneh also emphasized the need for Liberia to promote regional integration while advocating for promoting the ECOWAS green card.
In remarks, the Bong County Legislative Caucus chair, Sen. Prince K. Moye, extended appreciation to UNDP for being a partner in Liberia’s development.
He assured the legislature’s commitment to addressing the challenges confronting the efficiency and smooth operations of the country’s national security institutions.
Moye, also the chair of the Senate’s Ways, Means, and Finance Committee, further said the government would work to increase budgetary allotments to security institutions.
In his special remarks, LIS Commissioner General Stephen J. H. Zargo highlighted the importance of empowering the security sector through an increased budget.
Zargo also stressed the importance of the role of the immigration officers and charged the graduates to remain dutiful and disciplined.
Meanwhile, the resident representative of the UNDP in Liberia, Anthony Ohemeng-Boamah, further urged the officers to uphold professionalism and contribute to the rule of Law.
Boimah revealed that as part of the Joint Rule of Law Programme since 2017, the UNDP has trained over 1,178 officers and successfully conducted placement exams for 1,762 officers.
“This complements other ongoing initiatives aimed at the alignment of LIS operations and service delivery with international standards and best practices,” he said.
He further expressed his institution’s commitment to continuing its collaboration with national actors and partners to strengthen the institutional capacity of the country’s security sector, the justice sector, civil society, and community-based organizations.
Featured photo by Patrick Stephen Tokpah
