January 19, 2016
Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen. I’m talking about those who make it happen, the IT officers that support the immigration agents at Lungi International Airport, every day and every night, seven days a week. These young men and women bring us the best Information Technology (I.T.) that money can buy, to protect the airport and the country from the malevolent and the wicked. They go unnoticed for more than 3 years now. Do you know why? Because they’re doing a perfect job. Everybody knows that good deeds go unnoticed. This is especially true for I.T. Officers. We only know that our smart phone was working well when it fails, not? The integrated immigration control system that they provide at the airport has never failed. The Securiport IT officers have no limits to their will to succeed and are on a constant mission to maintain and improve the security system that protects Sierra Leone. They upgrade the software and replace the scanners and cameras to make sure that we are protected with the latest technologies that are available on the market.
“Some people think that we replace equipment because our equipment is not working properly. But I wonder, was your first mobile phone a bad phone because now we have smart phones? Was your black and white television rubbish because now we have color TV? I don’t think so! We are proud to be part of a company that gives us access to the latest technologies and empowers us to bring it to the people of Sierra Leone.”
“We understand and accept that not all the passengers can see the purpose of what we are doing. Some of them seem to be a little bit annoyed when the immigration agent asks them again about their occupation and habitat. But people change jobs and people move around. And when the police is searching someone, we are the first to be asked to produce this kind information.”
“We were surprised to learn that nobody knows about our company. We are doing business all over the world. Don’t think that we are far away. All passengers traveling to Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Senegal are happy to pay us for the services we provide when they buy an airline ticket. Our fingerprint scanners are high-tech solutions that are used all over the world, from the United States to Vietnam.”
“Our colleagues in Washington are top-notch software developers who use the input from all the users of our systems from all over the world, to develop smarter solutions that keep travelers safe and borders secure. We are the global leader in intelligent immigration control and aviation security solutions!”
Securiport’s IT officers are very proud to tell you that 6 criminals, who tried to get into Sierra Leone with stolen passports, were stopped at Lungi airport. Together with their closest partners from the immigration department and Interpol, they feel responsible for keeping the country safe. They solve border security challenges with innovative technology solutions that keep citizens and travelers safe.
I’m sure that they will keep on going unnoticed for decades to come, but they are here. They make I.T. happen. They don’t do this because it is easy to keep the country safe. They do it because it is hard. They do it because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of their energies and skills, because that challenge is one that they are willing to accept, one they are unwilling to postpone, and one which they intend to win, and the others, too.