Sheku Tanga
Information Attaché
Sierra Leone High Commission
Abuja-Nigeria.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, David Panda-Noah on Thursday 19th August, 2021 praised senior police officers who graduated from a three-month strategic leadership and command training course at the National Institute of Police Studies and called on them to use the knowledge acquired during the course to build a strong foundation for the police force for the maintenance of peace and security.
The Minister gave the admonition at the GoodLuck Ebele Peacekeeping Training Hall, Force Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
Minister Panda-Noah on behalf of the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, the IGP of the Nigeria Police Force and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for providing the slot for the Sierra Leone Police to be part of the course in a bid to enrich themselves with the skills that are in tandem with modem policing strategies.
He recalled how far Nigeria and Sierra Leone have come in building a strong bilateral cooperation, adding that the people of Sierra Leone will always eulogize Nigeria for supporting their country.
He congratulated the graduands for the successful completion of the course and described them as ambassadors who are now challenged with the task of cascading the training knowledge to other members of the force.
The Director of the Institute, Prof. Olun Ogunsakin said that the performance of the course participants was excellent and encouraged them to remain steadfast and committed to the course of protecting lives and properties and making their communities safe.
He said the course participants from Sierra Leone were the first to go through the institute and disclosed that other countries in the sub-region like Liberia, Ghana among others, will be giving the opportunity to go through similar courses in the institution. He said security related problems are perennial and hence there is need for collectiveness in addressing them especially within the sub region.
The Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police Force, Ambrose Michael Sovula in his speech appreciated the IGP of Nigeria, Usman Alkali Baba for creating the space for his officers from Sierra Leone to become course participants of the training. He emphasized on in-service training for members of the police force, stating that it will add value to the work of the institution.
IGP Sovula encouraged the officers to be agents of change and always discharge their duties professionally. “Training for members of the Sierra Leone Police Force is part of my succession plan as it is in line with President Bio’s Human Capital Development initiative”, he said.
The visit of IGP Sovula and the Minister of Internal Affairs won another slot for the training of another batch of senior police officers from Sierra Leone to be enrolled and trained at the National Institute of Police Studies in October this year. The slot was approved by the IGP Usman Alkali Baba after a plea was made by Minister Panda Noah and I.G Sovula.
The occasion for the award of certificates to course participants climaxed the ceremony.
