The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) and Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) meet in Yaoundé, Cameroon, have agreed on plans to beef up security surveillance in the Gulf of Guinea region to stop huge losses arising mainly from oil theft and piracy.

    Heads of States and Governments of ECOWAS, ECCAS and GGC at the end of the meeting on Tuesday said the region will tackle maritime insecurity.

    A new form of “coalition” among the states was announced by the Cameroon minster of external relations, Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo, who stated that “member states of the three blocs (ECOWAS, ECCAS and GGC) have agreed on a coalition for a multi-later assistance amongst all the 25 members”.

    This is in addition to a joint cooperation by the military of the three blocs (ECOWAS, ECCAS and GGC) to patrol and secure their borders.

    President Goodluck  Ebele Jonathan while speaking at the end of the meeting said “the end is near for the excesses of piracy with the commitment and determination of all the leaders present to day.”

    Nigeria, he said, has been at the receiving end of series of attacks resulting from high volume of oil industry activities and trade, and assured that “the leaders of the West African coast and the Central African coast will expand cooperation to check the criminal activities that are hampering economic growth of the region.”

    “The key thing about this conference is the issue of piracy and armed robbery in our coastal waters of which of course you know we have quite a number of attacks in Nigeria because of the volume of oil industry activities and the trade being a very big country.

    “The only way we can contain it is for the countries within the Central African region and West African region to come together.

    “Already, Nigeria and Benin have been partnering but we need to expand across the coast, the West African coast and the Central African coast. So this is the beginning of the end of these excesses of piracy, so we are quite pleased with the conference,”

    Member states also agreed on “harmonisation of information sharing on security issues within the Gulf of Guinea and constant convening of conferences on maritime security.”

    Member states also agreed to put up a mechanism for the three blocs, ECOWAS, ECCAS and GGC, to work together for strategic activities to check piracy.

    Others include a new military structure that will enable the military personnel of the three blocs (ECOWAS, ECCAS and GGC) to work together with each bloc as well as individual countries.”

    In his close remarks, Biya said, “What we have come up today is within the context of African solidarity.

    “The agreement is to provide a secured space for easy circulation of goods with those regions.”