GULF OF GUINEA COMMISSION AMBASSADORS INAUGURATE CHAIRMAN

Nelson NseAbasi

The Nigerian Ambassador to Angola, Her Excellency, Professor Monique O. Ekpong (KSJi) was on Monday, February 21, 2022 inaugurated as the Chairman of Ambassadors, Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC), with member states including Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Gulf of Guinea Commission is an international body established by the Treaty signed in Libreville, Gabon, on 3 July 2001. It is worthy of note that the commission clocked its 20 years of existence in 2021, the ambassadors of the member countries are to oversee affairs affecting their countries, as the commission is charged with various responsibilities which include reviewing encroachment into territorial waters, security on the high seas- reduction of pirates activities, taking charge of GGC territorial waters as regards fishing and also to enhance trade & businesses around the Gulf of Guinea.

The commission is saddled with the responsibility to constitute a framework of consultation among the countries of the Gulf of Guinea, for cooperation and development, as well as for 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 (EEZ).

Prof Ekpong was appointed the Chairman of the GGC Ambassadors 8 months ago, by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Florentina Ukonga based on popular demand, the inauguration, which was performed by the Angolan Minister for External Affairs, Mr Tete António was witnessed by the ambassadors of the member states in Luanda, the Angolan capital.

The new chairman has assured of relentless efforts to pursue an institutional framework for cooperation amongst the countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea, in order to continually defend their common interest and promote peace and socio-economic development based on dialogue, consensus, ties of friendship, solidarity and fraternity.

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