By Elbie Sebleh
MONROVIA: The Minister of Justice, Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, has urged Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) five hundred graduates to be loyal to their country and people.
He cautioned the new immigration personnel to resist the temptation to be corrupt by exercising illegal and violet influences over others.
Delivering the keynote address at the Graduation Ceremony in Lofa County over the weekend, Cllr. Tweh curved the graduates to never resort to violence and defiance of established rules of society.
“We admonish, implore and beseech you to be loyal to your country and people; to resist the temptation to be corrupt, to exercise illegal and violent control over others just because you have the power. Never disrespect your superior and fellow officers of LIS, and never disregard authority to assert your rights or correct wrongs. Help us to make the present and future of Liberia better,” Cllr. Tweh urged.
The Liberian Immigration Service on Saturday, December 7, 2024, in Foya, Lofa County, celebrated and graduated 500 remarkable men and women into the service under the theme: “LIS; Spirited Rejuvenated to Serve”.
Those graduated went through six-week intensive training at the Joseph Nyuma Boakai Training Academy.
The training focused on general immigration functions, basic investigation, and tactical training, and training in legal formalities techniques in law enforcement.
The objective of the training is to empower the recruits and transform the civilians into para-military officers – placing them in the critical line of thinking: operations, drills, leadership skills, civic responsibilities, and understanding of the chain of command.
The newly trained personnel are to replace more than 300 officers of LIS who have been listed for retirement by the Civil Service Agency.
During the recruitment process, LIS received the average candidates of over 9,000 applicants but was later reduced to 500 based on other procedures.
However, further motivating the graduates, Cllr. Tweh told the graduates that there will be challenges and disappointments, in their new life as immigration officers.
He stressed that the ceremony serves as a profound reminder of the resilience and determination that has marked their history.
Cllr. Tweh narrated that this rejuvenation symbolizes the relentless spirit and commitment of the Liberia Immigration Service to serve the nation with renewed energy and a steadfast vision for a brighter future.
According to him, they have prepared themselves to be positive part of the Liberian society.
He noted that the benefit they will get out of their lives as immigration officers is dependent on how well they utilize the skills acquired through their training.
” By virtue of your training and knowledge acquired during your training, you are prepared and equipped – not only for life as immigration officers but also to be productive members of society. This graduation should therefore be not only the starting point for advancement in your new employment – but also the beginning of a productive life as citizens of Liberia,” he concluded.
