Marshall — The Liberia Maritime Training Institute (LMTI) has graduated its 2nd batch of 24 young Liberians - 20 males and four females - who completed a full two-year study to earn Associate degrees in marine engineering.
President George Weah who should have served as the guest speaker could not deliver his message due to the deluge that occurred on Thursday. He, however, asked that the graduation celebration be deferred to another date.
The Liberian President encouraged the graduates to pursue their professional sojourn and help inspire others. "The rain today (Thursday) means a lot of things, especially as you get ready to move on the sea. You see how tough you people were under the rain, it meant readiness. Imagine you being on a ship and rain began falling and thunder came. President Weah said.
"With this kind of rain today tells me that our cadets are ready for any stormy weather while on the water, I am proud of you all and I hope to see your another time when we come back here."
President Weah recommended to the LMTI management the construction of a new graduation center, and the chairman of LMTI responded in the affirmative.
Chairman Abraham Avi Zaidenberg said that the second batch of graduates marks a historic moment in maritime annuals of the Republic of Liberia.
" Today demonstrates how public and private partnerships can be used to directly impact the man power development of people surroundings they live," he said.
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He said that the latest review if the performance of the first batch of cadets from the LMTI shows they are doing well, stating six of the graduates who were sent to the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Ghana have consistently maintained the Dean's list and have received certificates for their outstanding academic performances.
" We continue to receive positive responses from those graduates who were sent onboard vessels and those who are assigned at port facilities. All these positive feedbacks are simply telling us to continue to do what we do and even more."
Maritime Commissioner Eugine Nagbe applauded the valuable partnership between LMTI and the LISCR, emphasizing that the partnership is built firmly on a foundation of mutual respect and progress for the greater good of the Liberian society.
The General Manager of LMTI, Mr. Tal Hendler, meanwhile, appreciated the graduates for their resilience and challenged them to be ambassadors of the institution.
Mr. Hendler said that the graduates completed which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic."Your resilience, courage and adaptability were seen during these difficult pandemic times. I believe that with all these attributes demonstrated, together with skills and values acquired during the training, many possibilities and happy moments await you in the years head," he said.
