Gulf of Guinea: Nigeria, US Collaborate over Oil Theft
11.15.2007
The Federal Government is collaborating with the United States Government and some European countries in a bid to forestall crude oil theft in the Gulf of Guinea.
The collaboration would be under the aegis of the Gulf of Guinea Energy Security Strategy (GGESS).
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, said this yesterday in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said the GGESS would ensure that adequate care was taken to promote sustainable development, while exploiting the energy resources in the Niger Delta.
“The collaboration with the international stakeholders would also combat trafficking in smallarms and money-laundering, enhance maritime security and sustainable development,'' he said.
The minister said as a key player, economically, Nigeria had enormous stake in the resources of the region, adding that apart from the oil and gas, the region had vast marine resources to be harnessed and explored for the benefit of concerned parties.
“Nigeria cannot do this in isolation. Moreover, individual nations in the region can not also be allowed to exercise unrestricted independence in this direction,'' Maduekwe said.
He observed that due to theabundant resources, variedeconomic and militaryinterests were nowattracted to the area.
“It will serve Nigeria'sbest interest to ensurethat these interests donot, in their effort togain a foot hold, endangerthe peace of the region,''he said.
Meanwhile as part ofgovernment's commitment tothe successfulimplementation of GGESS, acommittee has been set upto monitor and facilitateits activities in Nigeria.
Membership of the Committeeinclude Office of the SFG,Ministries of Energy, Defence,Justice, Finance, Environment,Transport, Agriculture andWater Resources
.Others are Office of theNational Security Adviser,SSS, NIA, EFCC and NNPC.
