Captain Tajudeen Alao (Master Mariner)
Yes, the GMSC will minimize attacks, with regional and global collaboration. But Nigeria must secure her waters first by all means at our disposal. there should be zero tolerance for piracy and armed attacks on our waters.
John Egesi (EX NMA Boss)
You know anything that happens on the sea whether it is stealing the ship or armed robbery attack, starts on the land just like in Somalia and other places. So this thing they are trying to do, the problem is the political will. The government should sanitize the lands before talking about the sea. Piracy do not happen often in Nigeria, but it is more now, people now go to the sea to carry out their acts on the sea. The land needs to be made safe.
Paul Ndibe (CILT)
Well, security everywhere is a global issue but if it is localised around the Gulf of Guinea where over 50% of the high jacking, kidnapping and stealing happens it raises a lot of concerns. With that you can't say it is global it is localised. Because beyond the Gulf of Guinea there are greater chances of vessels coming without attacks. But within the Gulf for every 10 we will have up to six attacks. So the approach is to really have a synergy with countries around the Gulf so that there would be a serious concern. For purposes of monitoring and guarding some vessels knowing the vessels that are actually in the high sea and the ones that can constitute threat to other commercial vessels around the Gulf. It is not something one country can do, Nigeria can get other countries to key into and contribute resources, personnel, ideas and technology. And then they have a command structure where vessels can easily be monitored, protected and even be piloted. So the conference is a step in the right direction towards addressing the issues of pirate attacks in the Gulf.
Emmanuel Nwagbara (Lawyer)
In the last GMSC, a very long line of communiqué was issued which goes to emphasize that the Gulf of Guinea needs to be safe and secured. The whole conference was about maritime security in the Gulf and it was recognized that it is a global thing. So it is an international thing and we are happy to note that over 80 countries were in attendance. That it shows that the they prepared for the idea and it was embraced and it is welcomed idea. It was also recognized that it is a shared responsibility of the nations to ensure that the Gulf of Guinea is safe and secured for the interest of humanity, that it should be so. So I key into it and I support it, I also believe that it should move to the next level. They should put into action all the resolutions they have that they took that day and it would help to protect the Gulf.
Engineer Matthew Alalade(Merchant Navy)
I believe with what we have done in Abuja; piracy will reduce to the barest minimum. With the technologies involved and I believe it is a global thing; not only in Nigeria, but with other counties. So let's watch and see from the next eight months before we can judge or say anything concerning it.
Funmi Folorunsho (Secretary General African Ship Owners)
You cannot think of any development without security and I think Nigeria must be commended for that initiative. Going forward like I always say, it is implementing what we discussed there that will make an impact, I expect that the discussion at that conference would have gone through implementation stage, they should inform other countries formally, but once again I reiterate that there can be no development without security, so Nigeria must be commended for the conference; again implementation is the key.
Hajia Lami Tumaka (Director Special Duties, NIMASA)
The global Maritime Conference was centered around the insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea, what NIMASA has done is- we have come together and discussed the issue and have come out with a communiqué to solving the insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea and we are very sure that this will help resolve the crisis around the Gulf of Guinea.
Aminu Umar (President NISA)
Of course, I am optimistic that if they implement all the resolutions, of course it will put an end to issue of piracy at the Gulf of Guinea, so we hope to see the implementation soon.
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