 the former Inspector General of Police, senior government officials present, ladies and gentlemen. Let me once again offer my congratulations to you, the new Inspector General of Police on your appointment. Your selection by Mr. President follows a rigorous process where all eligible Deputy Inspector General of Police and Assistant Inspector Generals of Police were vetted and considered. The President then appointed him as the most senior qualified and eligible officer. This is a departure from the past when the selection of a new Inspector General of Police often meant the immediate retirement of a cohort of senior police officers whose vast experience and training will no longer be available to the country. This appointment, which is largely on the basis of seniority and competence, will ensure that you have access to professional and experienced officers to support you in your new role. Before I go on, let me thank the outgoing Inspector General of Police. I want to thank you for your services to this mission and for your innovative work carried on through your years as Inspector General of Police. Thank you for your services to Nigeria. IG, you are assuming office at a very turbulent time in the life of our country. There are multiple threats to law, order and public safety. The role of law enforcement and in particular that of the police force as primary agency in charge of maintaining law and order has never been more important. The police is our institution of first resort, the first line of defense against crime and anarchy and the first sign of the strength of the state. Last year, Mr. President signed the new police act, the first police reform legislation to be enacted in almost 50 years. The act is the centerpiece of our commitment to reinventing the police as an institution that we can all be proud of. It articulates this administration's vision of a modern competent police force as an institution committed to the preservation of human rights and human dignity and protection of the public against all criminal threats. The challenge is to, before you indeed honor us and we'll test your mettle. The organization you're leading is one that is itself facing several challenges. Your officers work still in extremely difficult conditions and some face the threat of physical harm by terrorists and hostile non-sidactics while in the line of duty. Very frequently they have lived up to their expectations. But there is no question at all that there is a lot that needs to be done. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. Under your leadership, the police must now rebuild in some ways also the broken bridges of trust with the public and regain the confidence of the citizenry. This is an ongoing challenge, it's an ongoing task that the police force and all of the senior members of police force must take on as a responsibility that of a continual process of building trust with the Nigerian public. One of the ways it can do this is by implementing the community policing policy which had already taken off and reconceptualizing policing as a task carried out in partnership with local communities and by officers who are members of these localities. Under your leadership, the force must live up to all of the highest standards of professional conduct and compliance with the rule of law. It must significantly improve the welfare and working conditions of these officers while rapidly scaling up its forensic, logistical and operational capacities to meet today's challenges. You must stamp out the excesses and abuses and the culture of impunity. They are demonstrated by some elements of the force which provoke public outrage against the institution. In short, your mission is nothing less than the restoration of dignity and high repute of the policing profession and the continuous oiling of that machinery of the police force that enables it to be one that is respected by the populace and by the international community. The testimony of your pedigree and your career thus far is that you are up to the task. The administration stands ready to work with you to reposition the MPF and take it to unprecedented heights of professionalism, competence and excellence. I therefore welcome you as a key partner to this administration's comprehensive program of reform aimed at repositioning the Nigeria police force as a modern, responsive, and citizen-centered law enforcement service. We all expect that you will justify the confidence that Mr. President has reposed to you in naming you to lead the force in these times. I congratulate you once more on behalf of Mr. President and his cabinet. And I wish you all the very best in your tenure. Thank you.