AND BE PREPARED TO SAFEGUARD THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND ITS INTEREST AT ALL COST
President George Weah has urged recently commissioned members of the Liberian Armed Forces to uphold the country’s constitution and be ready to defend its interests and territorial integrity at all costs. The AFL Commander In Chief cautioned them to manage the resources that will be placed before them because they are also expected within the areas of assignments.
President Weah’s statement was contained in the speech delivered on his behalf by the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Wesseh Blamo at the program marking the graduation and commissioning of officers of the Armed Forces of Liberia at the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia during the weekend.
President Weah stated that the last training of commission candidates for the AFL took place seven years ago and praised everyone for their dedication during the training. The Liberian president welcomed the new commission officers into the rank and file of the Liberian army and characterized the occasion as historic in his administration.
President Weah made it clear that the commissioning of these officers is coming at a time when Liberia is facing security challenges as a result of the porous borders, armed robbery, and drug trafficking
“These are posing threats to our existence as a nation especially when the country is heading towards presidential and legislative elections later this year, your commissioning as officers in the army is a significant milestone in the nation’s history.”
President Weah urged the officers to maintain their composure as they began their new military careers by leading by example so that their comrades in arms would turn to them for guidance and professional leadership.
The commissioning of 40 officers in the Armed Forces of Liberia is a milestone in the annals of the Liberian army, said Deputy Minister of Defense for Administration Tibli Dickson, who attended the event in place of National Defense Minister Daniel Ziankahn.
“For us as a country, this is a significant step and we will like to appreciate all militaries and governments which helped to make this a reality.”
He stated that the AFL commissioners are experts who will improve the army’s performance in the military-civilian interaction in the upcoming years and beyond. According to Minister Dickson, the majority of those commissioned officers are individuals who have earned degrees from medical colleges as well as from other scholastic and professional institutions. He claimed that the top leadership of the AFL selected and trained these troops from among the Defense Ministry’s pool of resources after the outbreak that shook the majority of the world’s nations.
“This is the first time in the history of the Liberian military to have this huge number of professionals joining the Liberian army, I want to seize this opportunity to admonish our people that the AFL will continue to build itself professionally in order to serve the Liberian people.“
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Defense, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs says the Liberia national police must rise up to the plate in order to address the security challenges facing the nation in an interview that follows the program. Senator Steve Zargo claimed that the LNP has been unable to solve the mystery surrounding the numerous mysterious deaths and apprehend those guilty. The Liberian Armed Forces were praised by the head of the Senate Committee on Defense, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs for their high degree of professionalism.
The program, which was held at the grandstand of the Barclay Training Center, was graced by officials of government, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of para-military organizations, and relatives of the commissioned officers among others.
Reported by: Augustine Octavius
Contact: +231777463963
Email: augustineoctavius@gmail.com
