{The Minister of Internal Security, Sheikh Mussa Fazil Harerimana has urged security supervisors of Rwanda Federation of Taxi-Moto operators (FERWACOTAMO) to consider national security a priority in their day-to-day duties.}

The Minister made the remarks on January 29, at Police Training School (PTS) in Gishari, Rwamagana District as he officiated at the closing of a one month training of 281 commercial motorcycle security supervisors from different cooperatives that form FERWACOTAMO.

“Having such cooperatives is a clear indication that we are living in a very organized country; you need to count on that by ensuring that you are the eyes and ears of security organs, that way you will be contributing to safety of the people,” said the Minister.

He praised their role in the community saying that, “Commercial motorcycles play a major role in our community that’s why we have to ensure we equip you with all necessary professional skills which in with the guidance of His Excellency the President ”

“Having security supervisors is part of the community policing initiative, whenever you are riding be cautious, listen carefully and be agents of positive change.”

The Commandant of PTS, Commissioner of Police (CP), John Bosco Kabera said that the skills acquired by the trainees were rich enough to help them streamline their profession.

“They were lectured by highly skilled people who equipped them with knowledge in road safety, basic intervention, their role in crime prevention, the role of commercial motorcyclists in fighting against terrorism, values and ethics of their profession, their role in fight against smuggling and use of technology among others,” said the Commandant.

One of the trainees, Romuard Nshirimpumu, the head of Northern Province security supervisors, explained flows they experienced in their profession prior to acquiring skills from Rwanda National Police saying that there were cases of corruption, drunkenness, carelessness and several malpractices.

“From this training, we were equipped with professional ethics and how to ensure discipline while doing our job. We have vowed to also increase our working hours from 12 to 24 a day; we also agreed to closely work with the police through sharing timely information,” Nshirimpumu said.

The training came as a result of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Rwanda National Police (RNP), NCCR and Rwanda Cooperative Agency in October last year.

“Although the MoU is vast and detailed, we opted to start the training with FERWACOTAMO because of their significance in the society. Majority of commercial motorcyclists are youth who meet with many people of different categories, if they operated in a proper manner, their contribution to ensuring security would be tremendous,” Augustine Gatabarwa, the chairman of the National Confederation of Cooperatives of Rwanda (NCCR), said.

NCCR has 7500 cooperatives have three million members of which 2000 of them are bound to benefit from the trainings offered by RNP as per agreement, Gatabarwa said

He pointed out that in a bid to ensure quick sharing of information, commercial motorcyclists’ security personnel would be give smartphones.

The President of FERWACOTAMO, Celestin Ntaganzwa, thanked RNP for equipping the security supervisors with skills, saying that there is no doubt their performance is going to be visible to the general public.

During the event, the minister also awarded certificates to the three best performing trainees.