President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has challenged members of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) to re-examine how the organisation had operated to stay relevant, vibrant and attractive.
President Akufo-Addo said despite the modest gains chalked by GGC over the past 23 years, a rejuvenated Commission is essential to their collective pursuit of peace, security and stability in their respective countries.
President Akufo-Addo in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister for Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul at the opening of the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of Gulf of Guinea Commission, expressed optimism and confidence in the immense potential and capability of the organisation if it is steered in the right direction.
The meeting, which was held in Accra on Tuesday was on the theme: “Building a Safe and Prosperous Gulf of Guinea for Sustainable Development” and attended by representatives of heads of state of members states of the GGC.
President Akufo-Addo told representatives of member-states gathered that their presence at the meeting underscores “our commitment to our collective responsibility to compact the threat we face in the Gulf of the region, the Gulf of Guinea.”
He urged them to show more political commitment at the highest level of government by ensuring participation in all statutory meetings at the highest and appropriate levels.
The initial revitalisation efforts of the organisation yielded some positive outcomes, such as improved interaction with African regional economic communities and the African Union regarding the 2050 Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy.
Despite these plausible outcomes, President Akufo-Addo said the commission is still far from achieving its aspirations, especially with the ongoing threats to the security and resources in the Gulf of Guinea.
President Akufo-Addo said, “No single country can address independently the multiplicity of evolving maritime threats within their territorial waters.”
He said it was incumbent on all member states to build their capacities through strengthened cooperation and enhanced information sharing amongst countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea.
Such collaborative interactions, the President stressed, would ensure co-ownership of initiatives and enhance innovative approaches to tackle the security challenges and threats to maritime security in the Gulf region.
In addition to these initiatives, President Akufo-Addo raised another matter crucial to the success and survival of the Gulf of Guinea Commission, which is the funding of the organisation and new approaches must be found to fund the organisation.
“It is noted that from its inception to date, the Commission has been funded exclusively through the assessed contributions of Member States.”
“Our calls for the determination of alternative sources of funding have not yielded results. Given the vested interest in the Commission’s output, we have several opportunities to generate additional revenue to support its operations,” he stressed.
A recent trend in the payment of assessed contributions of Member States coupled with the expanding mandate of the Commission, according to the President, indicated that the continued total dependence on Member States for funding was unsustainable in the medium to long term.
President Akufo-Addo urged the Executive Secretariat to take necessary steps to identify alternative sources of funding for the organisation, adding, “Excellences, our world is no longer stagnant. In this age of technology, we witness rapid transformations in all aspects of our lives.
“It is no longer prudent to be fixated on old ways of doing things. It is also precarious to remain indifferent to the fast-paced transformations occurring around us.”
The GGC constitutes a framework of consultation among the countries of the Gulf of Guinea for cooperation and development, as well as the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts that may arise from the delimitation of borders and the economic and commercial exploitation of natural resources within the territorial boundaries, particularly in the overlapping Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZS) of the States.
The Gulf of Guinea Commission was established by a treaty which was signed in Libreville, Gabon, on 3rd July 2001. The Member States of the Commission are the Republic of Angola, the Republic of Congo, the Gabonese Republic, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Cameroon, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Ghana.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
