The newly appointed South West Gendarmerie Legion Commander has officially been commissioned into his new functions at a time when the region is witnessing a rising wave of insecurity.

Colonel Oumarou Ngalibu was installed last Thursday 8 July 2010 by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defense, Jean Baptist Bokam, in the presence of other top military officials and a cross section of the living forces of the region.

Installing the new Legion Commander under a heavy downpour during the greater part of the event, the Secretary of State reminded the Commander that the National Gendarmerie must always be in the field and thus called on him to master and understand the geography of his area and put in place what he called ‘Proximity Gendarmerie’.

In addition to maintaining law and order, the new Gendarmerie boss was also challenged to fight against organised and cyber crime common in the region.

While reminding the new South West Gendarmerie Commander of the complexities of the region that also cover part of Cameroon’s maritime zone, Jean Baptist Bokam prescribed vigilance within the region as the powers that be would not forgive him if he is taken by surprise.

Bokam exhorted the 43-year-old Colonel to be alert at all times to fight pirates, clandestine immigration, illegal fishing activities in the maritime zone amongst others.

The National Gendarmerie, according to the Secretary of State, remains the best institution of intelligence service on which other missions depends, reason why he urged the legion commander to collaborate effectively not only with the administration and other security services but also with the population.

Speaking earlier, the Mayor of Buea, Charles Mbella Moki, lashed out at security lapses in the region which according to him, has caused the population to loose confidence in the defense forces. Mbella said the increasing crime wave has placed the population in constant fear watching criminals parade the streets and quarters with impunity.

The Mayor cited the case of the British expatriate who was murdered recently in Limbe with no trace even though the incident was discovered barely minutes after the gruesome murder.

The increasing crime wave including cyber crime according to the Mayor is the challenges the new commander would have to grapple with. Accordingly therefore, Mbella Moki appealed to the Secretary of State for increase personnel in Gendarmerie services in the region, supply of security equipments as well as transport logistics for effective war against crime to be successful.

The Secretary of State just as the Mayor lauded the outgoing commander for his simplicity and gentlemanly approach rare of military officers and wished him well in his new assignments.

Colonel Oumarou Ngalibu took over the baton of command in a typical military setting that saw the in coming man and the soldiers who mounted the Guard of Honour being socked by the heavy down pour even before the military match past to crown the event. Born in 1957 in Sangmalima, the senior Gendarme officer enrolled in the Yaounde Combined Military Academy, EMIA, in 1982.

He also holds the Diploma d’ Etat Major in Paris, France. Before his appointment last 4 June as the South West Legion Commander, Colonel Oumarou was an Inspector at the General Inspectorate of National Gendarmerie in Yaounde. He takes over from Colonel Amadou Sourek called up for other duties as Director of Administration and Logistics at the Gendarmerie Headquarters.