Nigeria’s Paul Adalikwu elected Secretary General of MOWCA

By Zika Bobby
Nigeria’s Dr Paul Adalikwu has been elected Secretary General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) at the 16th Extra Ordinary Session of the organisation in Accra, Ghana.
Adalikwu who was unanimously accepted by transport ministers of MOWCA member countries will run the organisation’s affairs for four years from it’s headquarters in Abidjan.
Adalikwu in a short acceptance speech, thanked the 25 MOWCA countries for the support and assured them of running the organisation in line with it’s rules and vision of it’s founding fathers.
He also pledged commitment to mobilising all countries in West and Central Africa to maximize their maritime potentials for their individual economic growth and collective interest of all .
He said: “It is with utmost respect and emotion that I address you on my success at the just concluded election that has placed on me the onerous task of piloting the affairs of the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) in the next four years.
“I wish to most sincerely thank the Ministers of Transportation of Nigeria Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for presenting and seeking the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari that I be presented as Nigeria’s candidate for the post of Secretary-General of a Regional Organisation that controls maritime activities in 25 countries of the West and Central Africa sub region.
“My warmest regards to Senator Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki, Minister of State for Transportation. She has doggedly championed the campaign activities in her capacity as the Chairperson of Nigeria’s election Planning Committee. Senator Saraki indeed proved herself, the amazon, resolute and resilient, never giving up and never getting tired even when it appeared that the election was taking a nosedive.
“It is on record that this is the very first time in the life of the organisation that Nigeria indicated interest to contest for the exulted position of Secretary-General of the body. By your enormous support and votes, you have this day placed on me the burden and challenge of properly placing MOWCA on the pedestal of executing the mandate of its founding fathers which is anchored on effective maritime trade and marine environmental protection among members of the sub-region, Africa and the world in general,” he said.