Nigerian Navy personnel
By Chiemelie Ezeobi from Doula, Cameroon
The Nigerian Ambassador to Cameroon, Ambassador Hadiza Mustapha, said the nation's Green Tea Agreement (GTA) with Cameroon is important even as she said measures are ongoing to resettle those displaced by the upheaval of the border dispute.
The ambassador made this disclosure during her tour of Nigeria's flagship Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Thunder) under the leadership of the Commanding Officer, Captain Adeseye Ayobanjo who is also the Nigerian Contingent Commander.
The ship's company alongside NNS Burutu who was commanded by Captain Aminu Hassan had arrived Doula, Cameroon, as part of this year's International Maritime Sea Exercise tagged Obangame Express.
The exercise which is a conflagration of 16 countries including Nigeria, USA, Spain, Belgium, São Tomé and Principe, Netherlands, Espanyol, Gabon, Ghana, Togo, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, Cote D'ivoire, Benin, Brazil and Cameroon, is expected to checkmate maritime illegalities on the Gulf of Guinea.
She said, "The Federal Government has already made to position clear on the Bakassi Peninsula and that is my position but it is also understandable that when you are moving borders it will affect the population.
"It is understandable that there are people living in that environment and that is why the FG working together with the international community have come up with a lot of confidence building measures to be able to look after the population. "
She added, "We have disagreements but we also have the GTA which is also important where some of these issues have been discussed multilaterally and bilaterally.
"About three months ago, we had a meeting in Abuja which Nigeria hosted and the work of that commission is going on. The FG recently formed a committee to look at the issues of restoring refugees."
Speaking on Nigeria's impressive outing at the exercise, the ambassador said, "What the Nigerian Navy is doing is important to the safety of our maritime domain especially At this period of security challenges.
"The exercise will help cooperate and stem the illegalities in our maritime domain. It would also promote our economic activities which cannot thrive if there is no safety on our waters. So, the Nigerian contingent was quite impressive. It is a matter of national pride for us."
In response, Captain Ayobanjo said Nigeria’s participation in the annual sea exercise would enhance the NN performance of her statutory duty of policing the nation’s maritime environment and the Gulf of Guinea as well as showcase Nigeria’s capability in maritime defence.
He said, "We seize collaborative opportunities like this to curb maritime illegalities and this is in line with the strategic guidance of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba."
To boost the efforts of its sister service and the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Services, the Nigerian Airforce Maritime Patrol Aircraft, which was the only one used for the operation, gave the exercise an aerial coverage.
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