Over the weekend, at least 673 newly trained officers graduated from the Liberia National Police (LNP), Training Academy, located in Paynesville, outside Monrovia.
Addressing the police graduates, the Inspector General of the LNP, Col. Patrick T. Sudue, underscored a number of salient points as it relates to the need for all LNP and officials and officers to demonstrate, at all times, high sense of professionalism, moral uprightness, and political neutrality in the performance of their duties.
According to Col. Sudue, the LNP is only loyal to, and serving the Liberian people, and not any individual or political party.
The LNP Boss did not stop there. He warned that any police officer who will behave unprofessionally will be dismissed in line with LNP Code of Ethics, and /or the laws of the country.
“As you are going out there, people will be campaigning, and you have to stand tall and ensure that you do the right things.
“If you do what is right, trust me, I will protect you, but if you do wrong, I will not protect you. As you go out, let me let you know that your actions will be under scrutiny.
“Speak as professional police officers. When you go out there, you should exercise your function as trained officers,” the Police IG cautioned.
As if the above-mentioned words of caution were not enough, Col. Sudue stressed that LNP is a “professional body and not a subjective institution.”
He noted that if any officer thinks that he/she joined the LNP to avenge or to be unlawful, then that officer has chosen a wrong path because every action of LNP officers will be scrutinized and evaluated.
Col. Sudue further told the graduates that Liberia needs trained and professional police force that will stand for the truth and show care for everyone in the country, adding: “The Liberian people want police officers who will run to save any citizen when he/she is in need of rescue”.
IG Sudue: “As the country goes to elections less than two months from now, enforce the law and be impartial in the exercise of your duties because the people of Liberia depend on you to protect the country’s hard-earned peace”.
Sudue also alerted LNP officers across the country not to participate in political rallies and not put on any political regalia because the police are for all Liberians, and as such, LNP officers should not side with any political party or candidate.
Sudue: “The Liberian people are our common denominator, the Liberian people are the ones we are serving, and they are the ones we owe our loyalty to. Our loyalty is not to political parties and individuals.”
“When anybody,” he said, “plays down your professional ethics, it means that person is not a patriot, because your works are overloaded and you work 365 days without resting because a day of rest for you will put the country at risk.”
Turning to the citizenry, the LNP IG pleaded for Liberians to respect and motivate the police.
“Police are protectors of lives and property and deserve to be honored and regarded because their absence can cause tension and chaos in any society,” he, among other things, advised.
Indeed, we, at The INDEPENDENT newspaper, are highly delighted and overjoyed by the LNP Inspector General’s glaring nationalistic and patriotic words of caution, coupled with his latest strong stance relative to the dire need for everyone to help maintain Liberia’s hard-won peace and the preservation of law and order.
This is why, we too, at The INDEPENDENT, are appealing to Liberians in general, to in spite of our socio-economic, political and other differences wholeheartedly embrace the call of the LNP Inspector General and other stakeholders including Liberia’s international development partners including ECOWAS, UN, AU, United States, just to name a few.
Frankly, Liberia cannot move forward with law and order, and sustain the country’s peace and stability without the gallant men and women who constitute the nucleus or embodiment of the LNP effectively upholding and implementing their statutory responsibilities.
Likewise, the LNP, and other national security forces cannot successfully carry out their respective statutory, and /or constitutional responsibilities without the much-needed support and cooperation of Liberians at home and abroad.
In short, we, as a Government and Nation must work together for peace, development, and progress, whether rain or shine.
