Graduates of UN skills programme in Liberia urged to be self-reliant

Graduates of a United Nations skills training programme in Liberia, where the world body is working to help consolidate stability as the country recovers from conflict, should use their training to become more self-reliant, the senior UN military official has said.

Addressing 33 graduates of the Pakistani Battalion-sponsored technical skills training programme this weekend, the Force Commander of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Lieutenant-General Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor, said they should take advantage of the training to acquire skills so they will be less dependent on aid and handouts.

The graduates from the local community around the city of Tubmanburg had completed a six-week training exercise in automotive mechanics, electricity and generator repair, according to a news release from the mission.

“The training workshop was to enable trainees to handle minor repairs of their equipment,” said Pakistani Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Muhammad Naseer Raja.

In March, the Security Council extended UNMIL’s mandate and, citing progress in a number of areas including the re-integration of former fighters, asked the Secretary-General to report on plans to draw down the level of blue helmets in Liberia, which suffered 14 years of civil strife.