The deficit human resource capacity of the Liberian Government received an added boost yesterday-a day after the University of Liberia had graduated 1,513 people-when 31 persons were graduated in Concession Management.

The graduates from 7 line ministries and four other agencies of government were trained for 17 months by the Cuttington University, under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance, through a UNDP-World Bank-sponsored program.

The graduates will serve as government's concession advisors, managers and/or experts, especially during concession negotiations, at their various ministries and agencies.

Several of them were drawn from the Ministries of Finance, Agriculture, Lands, Mines & Energy, the Forestry Development Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, the National Investment Commission, among pothers.

Receiving their certificates yesterday at a well attended program at the Monrovia City Hall, the proud graduates jubilated, and promised to utilize the knowledge acquired to benefit the Liberian people and state.

Keynote speaker Dominic Sam, UNDP Country Representative to Liberia, stressed the importance of capacity building, which he said has both short- and long-term benefits.

He said the UNDP will continue said will continue to support worthwhile capacity building programs in the country.

He said the UNDP was pleased to be part of the program aimed at bolstering the country's human resource capacity to properly managing the country's natural resources to benefit the people and enhance socio-economic development.

Mr. Sam said UNDP understands the constraints the government is facing to implement its own poverty reduction strategy program.

Indequate human and financial resource capacities, he indicated, were some of the problems.

Stressing the need for capacity building to have a national ownership, the UNDP Chief challenged the graduates to go all out and apply what knowledge they have acquired over the last one-and-a-half year.

Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan described the graduation of the 31 Liberians as a boost to government's human resource capacity building initiative.

He said the program was part of efforts by the government and partners to create a resourceful human capacity to effectively manage the state's recourses.

He said the current Liberian government in 2006 met a serious human resource capacity deficit, and decided to get human resource from abroad to set things into motion.

Minister Ngafuan said the Senior Executive Service-recruitment and training of Liberians home and abroad for strategic positions in government-was introduced to narrow the huge human resource gap.

Yesterday's graduation-this time focusing mainly on building the human resource capacity in the concession management area-is a further manifestation that the government is committed to narrowing the deficit in the country's human resource capacity to manage its resources well.

Minister Ngafuan asserted that capacity building in the concession areas was even demanding, especially those who negotiate long-term agreements (up to 25 years).

"If the right decisions are not made, the country and people suffer the consequences," the Minister noted and welcomed an earlier recommendation that the training be transformed into a graduate program.

The graduates, through their class president, the only female among them, Massa Fofana Johnson, had recommended that the Concession Management Training be upgraded to graduate program and that those interested be granted scholarship and provide services after graduation.

"It is a good recommendation, and I am going to work with the relevant stakeholders including the World Bank to do that," Ngafuan noted.

He told the graduates that Liberia needs their integrity, and not the degrees, meaning that they should be trustworthy and honest people while negotiating agreements.

"You will be dealing with [and discussing] millions and billions. Liberia needs your advice; it is your advice that will liberate Liberia," the Minister warned.

Lands, Mines and Energy Minister Dr. Eugene Shannoh and Minister of State for Legal and Economic Affairs, Morris Saytumah, in separate remarks also advised the graduates to be people of integrity.

Citing some intricacies involved in the process of negotiating concessions, Dr. Shannon admonished the graduates to take into consideration the Economic gains for the country, the environment and the social indicators.

The President of Cuttington University, Dr. Henrique Tokpa, who had earlier certificated the graduates, said he was pleased that his institution was part of the human resource development of the country.

He lauded UNDP for taking the program the CU and challenged the graduates to show themselves approved.

Dr. Ricardo Acosta, UNDP/World Bank Concession Advisor said the main aim of the program is to build the capacity of Liberians to manage and negotiate concession agreements.

He said these people will be the ones, at the places of work, to negotiate agreements with the private sector, and they were now ready to do so after 17 months of training. D K Sengbeh writes