By Adeleye Kunle
There are indications that the aims and objectives for which the Gulf of Guinea was established in 2001 is being threatened, a situation that has prompted President Muhammmadu Buhari to call for debt remittances by member States.
Buhari made the appeal on Thursday, at a meeting involving member-states of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC).
He claimed the continued non-payment of their outstanding Annual Assessed Contributions to the Secretariat, by the majority has greatly affected the ability of the Commission to fulfil its mandate.
At a virtual meeting of the Heads of State and Government of Member States of the Commission, which was partly convened to review progress on efforts to deal with the maritime challenges in the region, Buhari called for urgent collective action against the dangers and threats affecting maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea Region.
Buhari also told the Summit that Nigeria considers the effective functioning of the GGC as strategic to the collective security interest in the Gulf region, especially issues affecting piracy, proliferation of small arms and light weapons, including protection of marine resources as well as irregular migration to the region.
He told participants that as a demonstration of the Nigerian government firm commitment towards the repositioning of the GGC into a more vibrant Organization that will effectively deliver on its mandate, we had to host the 4th Ordinary Summit of the Assembly of Heads of States and Government of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) which held from 21st – 23rd November, 2017 in Abuja
