Training programme for senior officers of security agencies opens in

Accra

Accra, June 16, GNA - The Interior Minister Papa Owusu-Ankomah on Thursday stressed the need for personnel of the country's security agencies to be equipped with the requisite skills to make them work more efficiently and effectively. "It is my strong belief that the agencies will not be able to realise their objectives unless the quality of the personnel who have to undertake the various activities meet the required standards", he said at the opening of a two-day management training programme for superior officers of agencies under the Ministry in Accra.

The programme, organised by the Ministry of the Interior and under the theme: "Effective People Management", is to give management and professional training to superior officers in the development of their career and for the attainment of the goals set by the Ministry. It would enable the personnel to have a collective understanding of the workings of each agency and how to collaborate towards achieving the common goal of ensuring the maintenance of the country's security. Participants would discuss modules that include Contemporary Modern Practices and Effective People Management Skills among other issues.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah noted that the importance of human resource development could not be overemphasised because it formed a critical component of the Government's development agenda, adding that the Ministry's goal was to ensure that the concept became a reality as far as the agencies were concerned. He said although each agency had a specific responsibility with respect to internal security, there were common elements which when understood would help in obtaining optimum results in the nation's quest for a safe and secure country. The Minister said the workshop, which Messrs Pentax Company Limited, a consultancy firm, was facilitating, would make personnel aware of common elements that run through the various agencies and how they could help in improving the efficient and effective management of their institutions. He said bringing participants from all the agencies under the Ministry together for a training programme would help in sharing experiences on how the various management concepts they would discuss and how they would understand and implement them.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah hinted that the workshop was a prelude to the quest to develop a Senior Staff College to benefit all agencies under the Ministry. He tasked the Committee that was working on the modalities for the proposed Staff College to take the assignment seriously and asked heads of agencies to take interest in the inputs their representatives make to the work of the Committee. The Minister said he looked forward to the Committee's report to inform the Ministry on how to proceed with the improvement of the human resource base of the Ministry and its agencies.

The Inspector -General of Police, Mr Patrick Acheampong in his welcoming address said the Police Administration had the objective of training officers and men to the highest level of professionalism and commended the Ministry for organising the workshop for agencies under it. He noted that bringing all the agencies together for the workshop would galvanise their individual objectives into one that fits the Ministry's objectives.