THE Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC), Mrs. Florentina Adenike Ukonga, a Nigerian has lamented that the absence of the framework for consultation on issues of development and cooperation by members which is the core objective of the Commission.
She said the ugly development has resulted to persistence of overfishing of the waters, oil theft, pollution issues, arms trafficking, and others.
Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday after a virtual meeting between the President and the Executive Secretary of the Commission.
According to the statement, Mrs. Ukonga appealed to President Buhari to rally the leaders of member countries towards accomplishing the Commission’s goals and purposes.
Mrs Ukonga categorically raised the many ills that plague the Commission including lack of funds, through non-payment of annual dues by member countries, poor attendance at meetings or sending of low level representation, and no plan for elections for a succession accordingly adding that Nigeria finished her tenure in 2018.
President Buhari, reacting said that it is in the best interest of member states, and of Nigeria in particular, to fortify the Gulf of Guinea Commission, so it can perform the roles for which it was set up.
“The Gulf of Guinea is very strategic, and it is regrettable that most member states of the Commission are not up and doing. We need to check the theft of oil through the Gulf, the smuggling of arms and ammunition, and the breaking of border regulations through the waters,” President Buhari said.
He promised that Nigeria would be alive to her responsibilities in terms of prompt payment of dues, adding that he would also write leaders of member states to participate actively in the programmes of the Commission, and to defray their financial commitments.
While thanking Angola, where the secretariat of the Commission is based, for keeping faith with its responsibilities, President Buhari pledged that in spite of the economic challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic, we should keep the organization going.