The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) yesterday organised a five-day training on Management Leadership skills for senior cadres of the Immigration Department at the Management Development Institution (MDI) in Kanifing.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Interior and NGO Affairs Agency, Ebrima Sama Corr, said: "The Department of Immigration is an apex institution within the Ministry of the Interior as it continues to significantly contribute to the maintenance of peace and security of this great country.
"In collaboration with other partner institutions, the Department of Immigration is tasked with ensuring effective coordination, monitoring and supervision of the mobility of people and goods into and outside of the country."
According to PS Corr, his ministry has realised the need for constant training to be organised to improve the human resource competence of all the security agencies under its purview. "This is hoped will help them to effectively acclimatize with the realities of the rapidly changing, sophisticated and integrated world," he added.
He said the challenges that pose as threats to the peace and security of The Gambia have continued to evolve and profess varied degree of sophistication.
This reality, he added, has made it necessary for constant training to be offered to the persons working under the Ministry of the Interior and "this training for the Senior Immigration officers is a gigantic step in the right direction in this regard".
PS Corr said: "The Gambia is at critical stage of national development, as it has achieved numerous socio-economic developments under the able leadership of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of The Gambia, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh.
"These achievements need to be safeguarded and at the same time complemented to ensure that such positive advancements are propelled into greater heights.
"The vision set for The Gambia through the Vision 2020 blueprint is definitive and clear. It also needs our efforts to ensure that they are realised. Thus, a platform like this training programme, which is set to improve your capabilities to ensure your functions as reflected on the country’s Vision 2020 are professionally performed, is timely and greatly appreciated."
For his part, the director general of the Gambia Immigration Department, Buba A. Sagnia, said the training, funded by the PMO to improve the management skills of the senior cadre of the Immigration Department, was "very important".
He thanked President Jammeh for creating an enabling environment where "peace and progress is the order of the day", commending him for his "visionary leadership that provides frequent capacity building for members of the Armed and Security Services in The Gambia".
He also commended the Ministry of Interior for the support it "continues to render" his department.
While calling on the participants to take the training seriously, as whatever they learn has to be transmitted to other officers for effective service delivery, Mr Sanyang urged all donor agencies in The Gambia to emulate government in providing funds for capacity building to members of the security and civil society for the development of the country.
For his part, the permanent secretary at the PMO, Dawda Fadera, said the Gambia government "is so concerned about capacity building so that they can have an excellent public service".
