IT training for Nams

At least 55 members from the National Assembly and other staff working at the Assembly, yesterday, completed a three-week’s training course on basic information technology skills.

The training which is part of an ongoing United Nations Development Programme capacity development project for parliamentarians was aimed, among other things, to equip the honourable members in the use of the internet as a learning resource centre for research development, communication, as well as to provide them with skills necessary to create professional presentations using Powerpoint.

The beneficiaries, during the course of the training, covered four modules including the use of Microsoft Office Powerpoint  and the Internet. Speaking at the ceremony, held at the QuantumNet head office along Kairaba Avenue, Abdoulie Bojang, deputy speaker of the National Assembly - who stood in for the speaker, described the training as another milestone in the development of the parliament. Information Technology, Honourable Bojang said, is very fundamental to their work. He thanked the UNDP for sponsoring the training and for providing them with an internet cafe.

Muhammed Jah, chief executive officer and proprietor of Quantumnet, for his part, said his institution highly values parliamentarians, knowing the pivotal role they play in national development. "Contributing towards building your capacity therefore, is both a challenge and an excitement that Quantumnet will always endeavour to take," he said. Saihou Sanyang, project manager, UNDP capacity development project for National Assembly, underscored the significance of information technology in this day and age.

According to him, legislatures around the world are undergoing metamorphoses "precisely because the citizenry are engaging them, keeping them on their toes; they are asking nothing less than best practices." Sanyang added that in the 21st century, one cannot talk about effective governance in the absence of e-governance as a totality. He urged participants to fully utilise the knowledge gained.

The majority leader of the National Assembly and NAM for Serrekunda East, Honourable Fabakary Tombong Jatta, commended UNDP and QuantumNet for the training. Lassana Tunkara, customer service manager at Quantumnet, who moderated the occasion, expressed similar sentiments.