Nigeria Police Force Official Website

A WELCOME ADDRESS BY MR OGBONNA O. ONOVO, OON, NPM, mni
THE INSPECTOR-GENERL OF POLICE
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE
ELEVENTH MEETING OF WEST AFRICAN POLICE
CHIEFS COMMITTEE (WAPCCO) ABUJA
3RD NOVEMBER, 2009

Protocol
 May I on behalf of the Nigeria Police Force, the President and Commander-in-Chief, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, GCFR, welcome you all to the beautiful city of Abuja on the occasion of the 11th Meeting of WAPPCO. I would also use the opportunity to welcome to our midst, our indefatigable and most illustrious Secretary-General of INTERPOL, Mr. Ronald Noble, who is ably represented by his Executive Director of Police Services, Mr. Jean-Michel Louboutin. The Nigeria Police Force is indeed pleased to have you here and would ensure that your stay is memorable.
2. May I also use the opportunity to thank you all for the tremendous support given to the Nigeria delegation at the last INTERPOL General Assembly in Singapore, which led to the election of our own Adamu Mohammed, DCP as a member of the INTERPOL Executive Committee for Africa. I can ensure you that his background and experience will be a tremendous asset to all of us. He will maintain and sustain the confidence and trust reposed on him.
3. The 11th WAPPCO meeting is most unique, coming just 3 weeks after the Interpol General Assembly. It will afford us the opportunity to re-evaluate those various issues raised at the General Assembly with a view to know how we would implement them, especially the areas of Peacekeeping and trans-national organized crimes.  Drug and human trafficking, proliferation of small arms and light weapons, armed robbery, car jacking, advance fee fraud, document theft, cyber crimes and the emergent trend of kidnapping and religious fanaticism have become veritable challenges facing us.  Indeed, we have to commend ourselves for the efforts put in place to keep terrorism at bay. Here in Nigeria, the amnesty programme of Mr. President in the Niger Delta, has elicited worldwide acclaim and has brought hope, joy and peace to Nigerians in particular and the sub-region in general.
4. Despite these efforts, a lot still has to be done and that is why we are here.  We have to continue our collaborative measures, devise new strategies to tackle the menace as they come, engage in capacity building of our personnel, request for proper funding from our governments, use latest scientific and technological equipments and generally motivate our men with better welfare conditions.  We must also appreciate the efforts of INTERPOL to expand and upgrade the I/24-7 global communication system and that of the NCBs.
5. Finally, I must commend the standing technical sub-committees for their efforts to harmonise our legislative, operational and training procedures.  This will enhance our ability to keep track of crime syndicates that traverse our borders. I wish to thank the IPSG and the regional bureau in Abidjan for the experts deployed during the conduct of “Operation Bunini” and the on-going FIFA under-17 World Cup viz IMEST (INTERPOL Major Events Support Team).  We shall continue to count on your support and will advise you all to utilize the NCB enhancement services, through the OASIS Project. 
6. I welcome you once again to Nigeria and invite you to make out time and watch one of the World Cup matches, at least on Television, if you cannot watch it live at the Stadium.  I wish all of us happy deliberations. 
Thank you for your attention.