By the approval of President George Manneh Weah, Foreign Minister Gbehzohngar Milton Findley has appointed Mr. Andrew D. Wonplo, Sr. as the new Director of Passports & Visas.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, his appointment takes effect as of Tuesday, February 13.

In the appointment letter, Foreign Minister Findley challenged Mr. Wonplo to ensure an effective and efficient management of the Division of Passport & Visas in order to provide quality services to the Liberian public.

While congratulating the new Passport Director on his preferment, Foreign Minister Findley expressed confidence that Mr. Wonplo will continue to perform his duty with honesty, commitment and loyalty while ensuring that the interest of the country is served at all times.  

Making remarks at the turnover ceremony on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Findley thanked the outgoing Director, Ms. Marian Sandi, who has now been transferred to the Liberian Mission accredited to the Court of Saint James, United Kingdom.

“Let me inform the outgoing Director that you have a huge task ahead of you as you take on your new responsibility. There is a lot of work that our embassies will have to perform. This Ministry will be giving targets to all its embassies to meet up with. We expect scholarships, grants and aid to come to Liberia. So, there is going to be a lot of work on your shoulders,” Minister Findley told Ms. Sandi.

He hailed the outgoing director for her remarkable performance, which he noted significantly transformed the quality of services at the Division of Passport & Visas; adding, “I remembered when I came for my passport few years back. What I see today tells me how far you have come with the quality of services here. I want to say thank you for the level of good work you have done”.

Foreign Minister Findley, who is also the Dean of the Cabinet, then cautioned the incoming passport Director to emulate the good examples of his predecessor urging him to perform his duty with commitment and diligence.

“We don’t expect anything less than to keep the integrity of the passport division,” he advised.

Minister Findley further challenged him to continue to work hard like his predecessor in order to keep on the good work; adding: “There is going to be no excuse for you as you have stayed here so long and so we will not hesitate to get on your back.”   

Receiving the mantle of authority, Director Wonplo extended profound gratitude to his predecessor, Marian F. Sandi, for her astute leadership quality and dedication to duty which he noted has improved service delivery in the Division.

“Let me firstly seize this opportunity to appreciate the President, H.E. Mr. George Manneh Weah, and the Honorable Minster of Foreign Affairs, for my preferment to this position, and for the confidence you have reposed in my ability to serve as Passport Director”.

He promised to retain the statutory function of the Division and at the same time restore integrity and value system of service delivery.

“I will work so that the Bureau can meet the standard of its nomenclature, the Division of Passport & Visas,” said Wonplo.

He noted that in order to increase productivity in the Bureau and by extension the Foreign Ministry, senior managers must motivate employees with handsome salaries so that they can be able to perform well. 

“With our presence here as Director of Passport, we are going to plead with our Honorable Foreign Minister, who is always willing to listen to people, to ensure that passport officers are well attended to,” he promised.

The new Passport Director further indicated that Passport Officers are not just revenue generating individuals, but rather people, who are charged with the responsibility of managing what he called the nation’s highest sensitive instrument – the Liberian passport.   

He told the gathering that as an insider, he has learned and spent time gaining wealth of experiences over the past 10 years in the department, adding “Since we took assignment in the Passport Bureau, we have had the opportunity to work and handle various kinds of sensitive documents.”

He told the Foreign Minister that his decision to appoint him as Passport Director was not a mistake, adding “We like to assure you that we are going to protect the Liberian passports than ever before.”

Cautioning his passport officers, Mr. Wonplo reminded them of the greatest challenges ahead. “Today, I have reached a point that I am now here to supervise; so let us work with diligent and commitment.”

Making her farewell remarks, Madam Sandi noted that she was overwhelmed by the kind words that were said about her. She emphasized that the turning over ceremony was the first of its kind in the Passport Division; adding, “I am so happy that the staff who I worked with over the years are very appreciative of my efforts.”

She then wished for her successor, a very warm and successful leadership stating ‘I pray that you understand the people you will be working with, the same way I understood them. She cautioned him to encourage team work among staffers for the betterment of the country and its people.

“As you know, passport involves security issues and that the Passport Division is like a clinic where people come with different kinds of problems and expect you to provide a quick solution for them.” 

She told her former colleagues that working in the Passport Bureau is not just about given people passport, but rather to be able to relate to their fellow countrymen in a polite manner, especially so when they leave their homes and come to the Ministry for assistance.

She hoped that the staffers of the Bureau will continue the good works under Director Wonplo’s guidance.

“You are working for the people, so when you come to work in the morning, you should ask God for wisdom, so that you can do something that will uplift the image of the country,” she advised them.