President Goodluck Jonathan is due in Yaounde, Cameroun today to participate in the Summit of West and Central African Heads of State and Government on Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea.
The summit begins tomorrow. It is coming against the background of rising incidents of piracy in the Gulf.
President Jonathan will be joined by other Heads of State of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS) to deliberate on new proposals and a joint action plan to tackle piracy and maritime criminality in the region.
Documents to be considered and ratified at the Summit include a Memorandum of Agreement among ECOWAS, ECCAS and the Gulf of Guinea Commission on maritime safety and security in West and Central Africa; the policy statements of the Heads of State and Government on maritime safety and security; as well as a Code of Conduct on the fight against piracy, armed robbery and illegal maritime activities.
It is expected that at the conclusion of the summit, legal instruments for cooperation on maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea will be adopted by participating heads of state and government.
On President Jonathan’s entourage are : the Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke; Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro; Minister of Transport, Alhaji Idris Umar; Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Joseph Ezeoba; and Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi.
The President will also hold bi-lateral talks with President Paul Biya on issues such as border security and the welfare of Nigerians living in Cameroun.
