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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Representatives of the European Union (EU) and Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri met on Monday over the security of the Gulf of Guinea.
Piracy, crude oil theft and other criminal activities have threatened the Gulf of Guinea in recent times and it has been a source of worry for all partners.
The EU Senior Coordinator for the Gulf of Guinea, Mr Nicolas Berlanga, said the EU and its partners will work with the government and the people of the state as long as they provide the needed leadership.
The meeting, which had in attendance Spain’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Juan Sell, France Attache to Nigeria, William Tosten, France Naval Captain, Ludovic Poitou, Portuguese Naval Coordinator, Gulf of Guinea, Joao Corte- Real and the EU Political Adviser, Thomas Kieler, harped on the need for collaboration to secure the Gulf of Guinea.
According to the Spanish Ambassador, Sell, meeting with various states in the Gulf of Guinea is because the involvement of coordinating units would add to efforts to improve security in the Gulf of Guinea.
Senator Diri, who explained to the EU delegation that Bayelsa has the longest coastline said the state is interested in a collaboration that will help it secure its maritime area and harness the resources therein.
Diri noted that Bayelsa and the entire Ijaw nation are critical stakeholders in maritime safety given the fact that the lives of the people depend on their coastal ecosystem.
‘We from Bayelsa State and the entire Ijaw nation are critical stakeholders to the whole idea of maritime safety, protection of the maritime ecology, the healthy and sustainable development of the Deep Blue economy and preservation of our aquatic, cultural heritage. Our commitment to this is premised on the fact that our lives depend on the coastal ecosystem and any threat to its peace directly impacts us. For example, encounters with pirates and sea robbers often impinge the economic preoccupation of our fishermen and communities,’ he stated.
‘Consistent with our actual existential reality as a people of the coastal belt of our country, Bayelsa under my watch has continued to develop policy frameworks that will ensure wealth creation, job creation and long term preservation and management of the resources of the environment around us. That is our internal water and the adjoining sea.
‘Our focus has therefore been on five prongs’ which include ensuring peace and security around our coastal communities and the entire Gulf of Guinea.
‘This is under what we refer to as “Community-Based Crime Prevention and Development Interventions” and in particular is the “Community Based Crime Prevention Strategy”. This is the first of its kind put in place by any of Nigeria’s nine coastal states.
‘This means that we are taking the intervention directly to the affected communities where potential maritime criminal activities have their origin.’
