BIN officers receive deployment benefits

The Government of Liberia has begun disbursement of deployment benefits to 250 new graduates of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN). The exercise is the second phase and now completes cash deployment package to 515 BIN officers who have so far graduated from Camp Biago, a temporary training centre in Grand Cape Mount County. 

BIN says the move is part of efforts by the government to increase full security coverage across the country in the wake of the drawdown of UNMIL. Part of the benchmark set to allow a proper security transition calls for the training, equipment and deployment of national security officers, a process which the BIN is fulfilling. Funding for the disbursement was made possible out of a US$10 million allotment by the government to implement programs under the Government of Liberia/UNMIL Joint Transitional Program.

The sum of US$250.00 disbursed to each officer is expected to mainly cover purchase of personal effects, and settlement of compulsions at their homes. The officers will be deployed to the 15 counties of Liberia, beginning this week with focus on the eight bordering counties.

The two days exercise ended Wednesday 29th June 2016 in Monrovia led by the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the Ministry of Justice, tasked with the responsibility to manage and implement all projects under the GoL/UNMIL Joint Transitional Program. 

PIU Finance Officer Emmanuel Tarr said the exercise is geared toward enhancing the work of the nation’s gatekeepers, and is part of the government’s commitment to managing its own security programs, providing for the needs and ensuring professionalism within the officers.

The 250 new graduates came on board in May this year with diverse professional skills, said Deputy BIN Commissioner for Administration Commissioner, Peter Zayzay. Commissioner Zayzay maintained that the mixed skills of the officers will melt down into the many departments of the BIN. including human resource management, logistics, fleet management, communications, procurement, intelligence sections, amongst others.

PIU continues to implement similar project under its mandate to ensure the availability of required logistics for critical sectors, especially security institutions, under the GoL/UNMIL Transitional Taskforce that is chaired by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). 

Earlier, similar training and cash disbursement took place for 552 Liberia National Police (LNP), 60 Bureau of Correction and Rehabilitation (BCR), 101 Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officers.  As part of the move, the PIU is currently overseeing the construction of a state-of-the-art Fire Service Stations in Kakata, Margibi County for the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS) inclusive of water and communication posts and with another under construction in Sanniquellie, Nimba County. The renovation of the Liberia National Police Training Academy (LNPTA), and the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNSA) facilities are underway as arms marking equipment have been purchased and turned over to LiNSA to carry out the marking and control of authorized arms within the country. 

Training and feeding of recruits at the LNPTA is also ongoing coupled with the provision of fuel to facilitate the operations of LNP, BIN and BCR officers in the field. The GoL/UNMIL security transition comes to a close this Friday, 30th June 2016 with an elaborate ceremony set for 01 July 2016 at the Monrovia City Hall.