PHOTO: George Tengbeh, ED Liberia Labor and Governance Alliance
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
A civil society organization, the Liberia Labor and Governance Alliance has called on the Ministry of National Defense and the high command of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFP) to stop denying zealous young people from joining the military
The alliance Executive Director, George Temgbeh, encouraged the AFL high command and the Defense Ministry authority to re-fix the barriers, and in order not to kill the dreams of young people wishing to join the military.
Addressing a press conference in Congo Town over the weekend, Temgbeh argued that there is a need for reform in the military recruitment requirements now or else they will not have many applicants undergoing through the procedure.
According to Mr. Temgbeh, for some young people, it is a dream for them to serve their country and it is a reality we must face on the daily basis when it comes to present requirements
The alliance claimed that the strength of estimated 2,000 is nothing compare to countries like countries like Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana.
The civil society advocate pointed out that the requirements of high school graduate and other requirements are serving and blockage to that reality.
“Some of the requirements for joining the military should be reconsidered and there is a clear need to review and revise certain conditions to make the process more inclusive and practical.”
Temgbeh wants the government to allow the use of online WASSCE results as valid proof of completion, especially for applicants who have not yet received their physical certificates.
According to him, the WASSCE/WAEC certificate requirement for enlistment into the military is unnecessarily burdensome and it is impractical and should be reconsidered.
“Like already mentioned above, many high school graduates do not yet have their physical WASSCE certificates, even though their results are already available online.”
“As such,’ he went on, “the requirement should be amended to allow either a WASSCE certificate or verified online WASSCE results as proof that the candidate has passed.”
According to high command of the AFL, the requirements are high certificate, police clearance, national identification cards, or Liberia passport, good human rights records and the physical ability
Recently, a member of the House of Representatives petitioned the plenary for an amendment in the academic qualification of enlistment in to the AFL be reduced to ninth grade because the high requirement is denying many youths the opportunity to serve the country.