The Foreign Minister of the Republic of Liberia, H. E. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, has dedicated a modern resource center within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The center, which is located in the basement of the Ministry, was refurbished through a grant from the Japanese Government. The center is equipped with at least 28 brand new Dell Desktop Computers.

Officially opening the center Monday, July 20, 2015, Minister Ngafuan stated that opening of the center was a significant step toward continuing the capacity building of the staffers of the Ministry.

He stated that one of the best things that an employee can receive from his/her employer is training; adding: “The computer skills, research skills and others that will be acquired from this resource center, will go a long way with you.”

He further said that some “good staffers” of the Ministry when told to do a piece of assignment, especially when it has to do with computer, those staffers, because of “computer phobia,” will chose to write down their thoughts on paper and ask someone to put it on computer for them.

He told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Workers’ Union (MOFAWA) president, Mr. Lahai Kiazolu, to urge his members to take the resource center seriously.

“I want to hear in the next three months that someone has put away his/her computer phobia and is improving,” he emphasized.

Speaking to some of his senior staffers, he stated: “As a diplomat, it’s a must that you learn to use computer because there are some sensitive communications that it won’t be wise to allow even your secretary to see.”

According to the Minister, the center would be run through a corporative initiative by central administration, the Foreign Service Institute and the Department of International Corporation.

He thanked his deputies, including Hon. Thomas Kaydor, Deputy Minister for International Corporation and Economic Integration, and all others, who worked to make the project fruitful.

Following the Minister, the Deputy Minister for Administration, Hon. Wede Elliot Brownell, PhD, stated that it was a new time for senior staffer to provide the necessary tools and encourage employees in order to make them effective and efficient.

Dr. Brownell among other things stated that some of the things that the Ministry has in its budget for education both abroad and at home, good incentives, health insurance, etc. have been placed there for the welfare of employees.

Speaking earlier, Deputy Minister Kaydor, under whose department the resource center falls, said it is intended to build capacity and develop human resource within the Ministry. He also stated that in addition to this, they decided to include research documentation publication and other services that would be deemed necessary by the Ministry.

“We therefore ask all employees to make this resource center their own place and take care of all of the pieces of equipment within the center,” he said.

He at the same time called on employees of other ministries and agencies of government to make use of the resource center.

For his part, Mr. Kiazolu, MOFAWA president, thanked Min. Ngafuan and all his deputies for “bringing smile to the faces of the over 400 employees of the Ministry.”