Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Ghana’s Minister of Transport, has asked West and Central African regional governments to join their forces so as to fight the incessant piracy and armed robbery attacks in the regions’ waters.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 26th Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Regional Maritime University (RMU), in Accra over the weekend, Mr Asiamah said piracy incidents if not curtailed could greatly affect the maritime industry in the sub-region and beyond.
“The implications if adequately dealt with would have dire consequences to the maritime industry,” he said, adding that: “I wish, therefore, to urge members not to relent but collaborate more to bring this menace to an end.”
To remind, according to data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, West Africa alone lost $2.3 billion between 2015 and 2017 due to maritime crime.
Namely, the Ghana Navy has revealed that 39 pirate attacks were recorded on the Gulf of Guinea between January and October 2021, with the latest occurring on October 11, 2021.
On account of our geographical location, we occupy a strategically important position in the Gulf of Guinea. We rely heavily on international maritime commerce and exploitation of our maritime resources. To reap the full benefits of our proximity to the maritime space, there is the need for member states to collaborate more in the development of strategies for the sustainable utilisation of our maritime resources. This calls for the urgent revitalisation of regional bodies.
...Kwaku Ofori Asiamah explained.
For the records, the purpose of the meeting was to solicit feedback on decisions and recommendations taken at the last meeting of the member states in August this year and to discuss the status and progress of the University and find a sustainable pathway to improve education and training at the institution.
