By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba, has commended Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAILPKC) toward building capacity to defeat piracy in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
Agba, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Mr Abdulrahaman Bwacha, gave the commendation at the inauguration of the Anti-piracy Course 4/23 organised by MLAILPKC, on Monday in Abuja.
He said the centre had been recognised for providing a world class e-learning platform, focused mainly on courses related to peace support, humanitarian relief, and security operations.
Agba said that the MLAILPKC had remained a reliable training centre for leadership and peacekeeping operation in Nigeria considering the prevalence of insecurity, humanitarian crisis and displaced communities.
The minister commended the support of international organisations for their commitment to sustaining the centre.
The Director-General, Nigerian Army Resource Center (NARC), retired Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, urged the participants of the course to open their minds to acquiring the requisite knowledge needed to deal with piracy in the GoG.
Wahab said that maritime environment had been one of the mainstay of the nation’s economy, adding that no nation could develop without security.
He said if the maritime environment was not secured economically, Nigeria will be in crisis and so, we must find a way of ensuring that the Gulf of Guinea is secured.
“Whether we like it or not for so many reasons, we must ensure that the sea is secured and everybody must come around to assist those who are responsible, particularly Nigerian Navy,“he said.
“It is the responsibility of every Nigerian. Nobody will come from outside, they can assist us in funding but the onus of performance is on Nigeria and other member states to ensure that the Gulf of Guinea is secured,” he said. (NAN)
