From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC), Florentina Adenike Ukonga, has said that illegal activities at sea have continued to pose a serious threat to the region.
Ukonga made the disclosure during the 12th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the GGC, preparatory to the 5th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the GGC in Abuja.
Ukonga recalled that the meeting was the first after the COVID-19 pandemic which disrupted the functioning of the GGC during the year 2020 and 2021, adding that the pandemic also limited the execution of the Approved Plan of Action for 2020, mostly due to travel restrictions.
She further said the meeting should be given the importance it deserved, since the GGC never had any statutory meeting in almost three years.
“And considering that the last one was held in October 2019, it is also imperative to note that the illegal activities at sea still continue to pose a serious threat to the region, and it is in our interest to give the commission the impetus to make it more dynamic in carrying out its mandate as enshrined in the Treaty establishing the Gulf of Guinea Commission, which was signed on July 3, 2001,” Ukonga said.
Ukonga also said the Executive Secretariat continued to strive to carryout its functions, even though it is constrained by delayed payment, non-payment of contribution by some member states and the irregular non-holding of statutory meetings.
She stated that the impediments have really limited the activities of the executive secretariat, but have not stopped the Executive Secretariat from interacting and collaborating with the regional partners and other relevant agencies in finding solutions to many criminalities in the Gulf of Guinea region.
“It will interest you all to know that members state are still not fulfilling their financial obligations. As at today, the Executive Secretariat has only received contributions from four member States for 2022: Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Ghana and Nigeria. Others are owing in the region of 315 years. We need the honourable ministers to look into this critically and with keen interest,” Ukonga also said.