Monrovia – The Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) has acknowledged significant delays in its recruitment process for new officers, largely due to the extensive vetting required for over 9,000 applicants.
By Jeremiah Mulbah, Contributor
The recruitment drive, which began on July 18, 2024, was launched in response to urgent staffing needs but has faced setbacks due to the careful screening procedures.
In a recent press briefing, Deputy Director General for Administration at the LIS, Elijah F. Rufus, revealed that the Civil Service Agency (CSA) informed the LIS that 318 officers had reached the mandatory retirement age and would soon be retired.
This development has worsened an already critical manpower shortage, particularly along Liberia’s borders.
“We have been appealing for additional manpower to be trained and deployed to the border posts that lack sufficient personnel,” Rufus stated. “However, we are now confronted with the challenge of retiring several officers at a time when we desperately need more hands on deck.”
The recruitment process, designed to address these staffing shortages, has been met with an overwhelming response, with 9,743 applications submitted from all of Liberia’s fifteen counties.
This unexpectedly large number of applicants has contributed to delays as the LIS undertakes a thorough vetting process to ensure only the most qualified candidates are selected.
Speaking on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, LIS Deputy Communication Director Abraham Kollie provided an update on the ongoing vetting process.
He explained that the screening began on August 12, 2024, with age verification as the first criterion.
According to him, applicants outside the 18 to 35 age range were disqualified early on, narrowing the pool of potential candidates.
Kollie added that the next phase involves verifying the biometric ID cards of those who remain.
Despite these efforts, he confirmed that no candidates have yet been selected for the 500 available positions.
“We are committed to conducting a thorough and transparent vetting process,” Kollie emphasized. “While there is pressure to speed things up, our priority is to ensure that we choose the best candidates to strengthen our security forces.”
He indicated that the LIS expects to complete the vetting and shortlisting process shortly, after which successful candidates will proceed to the final stages of recruitment.
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