…To Discuss Maritime Issues
President Mohammadu Buhari is to depart Abuja on Monday for Malabo, the Equatorial Guinea(EG) capital for bilateral discussions on regional security with his counterpart in EG President Nguema Mbasogo.
This was made known in a statement by the Presidential spokesperson, Mr. Femi Adesina on Today, Sunday, March 13, 2015.
Adesina explained that President Buhari would be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Defence, Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd.), the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.) and other senior security officials.
He further stated that the talks would later translate into signing of an agreement between the two countries for the establishment of a combined maritime policing and security patrol committee on Tuesday.
The agreement, he said would assist in securing lives, resources and investments within the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea.
The statement also disclosed that the two leaders are to discuss and agree on other collaborative measures to combat crimes such as piracy, crude oil theft, attacks on oil rigs, arms smuggling and human trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea.
Adesina added that the presidents would also look at the rescheduling of the joint summit of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States(ECCAS), on additional cooperative measures to fight terrorism and violent extremism in the two regions.
The Presidential Spokesperson stated that president Buhari would return to Nigeria on Tuesday at completing the function added that the summit would have taken place in 2015 in Equatorial Guinea but that it shifted because of Nigeria’s general elections.