Rivers
Nigeria, 28 Others Seek Int’l Response To Piracy, Oil Theft
Nigeria and 28 other countries on Wednesday called for an international response to piracy and crude oil theft scourge in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) and in the continent.
The Tide’s source reports that the League of Nations were from Africa, European Union, Brazil, South Korea, China and United States.
Though Nigeria had on March 3 exited the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) piracy list, the country has continued to take the leading role to push for a more secure region.
The call was part of resolutions reached at the end of a two-day International Maritime Conference hosted by the Nigeria Navy at Onne, Rivers State.
This is contained in a 36-point communiqué signed by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigeria Navy, Rear Adm. Saidu Garba, a copy of which was made available to The Tide.
The theme of the conference was “Optimising International Collaboration for Maritime Security and Sustainable Socio-Economic Development in Africa.”
According to the communiqué, 300 delegates and 900 participants from 29 countries, including heads of Navies and Coastguards in Africa, the EU, Brazil, South Korea, China and United States, etc, participated in the conference.
“At the end of the deliberations, 36 draft resolutions were adopted, including that African countries should identify and prosecute sponsors and collaborators in maritime crimes to serve as deterrence.
“Heads of GoG Navies are enjoined to lobby their governments to establish special courts to prosecute cases of piracy, sea robbery and other related offences.
“African states should put in place mechanisms to ensure that resources illegally harvested/exploited in the region, such as stolen crude oil, fish and other resources are confiscated and returned to originating countries.
“This is to ensure speedy dispensation of maritime crimes while emplacing measures to build capacity and sensitise the judiciary on relevant legislations,” it said.
The communiqué further called on GoG states to ensure the operationalisation of the maritime zones within their respective regions in line with the Yaounde Code of Conduct (YCC) framework.
It demanded the development and strengthening of member states surveillance capabilities, to enhance effective information sharing among navies of the GoG.
“As part of their ship renewal initiatives, African nations should leverage the shipbuilding capabilities of member countries, such as Nigeria, to enhance their platform holding.
“African states should carry out flag showing visits with vessels locally built in the GoG to showcase shipbuilding capacity.
“Navies of African states should consider acquisition of dedicated training ships that will be tailored towards their operational needs, particularly at the tactical level.
“African countries should formulate national Blue Economy policies that are uniform in sustainability across the continent,” it added.
The participating countries called on African states to consider establishing National Marine Spatial Planning Authorities/Agencies as well as the establishment of Integrated National Marine/Maritime databases, among other resolutions.
The Rivers state Chief Judge, Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI has given an indication to sanction any lawyer who fail to comply with directive of a judge in the state to transferred a case to Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse for Alternatives Dispute Resolution.
Justice AMADI stated this during a brief ceremony held at the chief judge auditorium in port Harcourt Friday held to hand over certificates of operation to two private ADR chambers on Precarious Dispute Resolution Services and Harmony Arbitration and mediation center .
He urged the two private ADR centres to be diligent in the discharge of their duties and warned against compromising the standard of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR but should observed the regulations set out in collaboration regulation by the state Multi Door Court House.
Earlier in a address, the Director of the State Multi Door Courthouse, VICTOR NWEKE esq, highlighted some of the achievements of the Multi Door Courthouse especially in decongestion of court rooms.
NWEKE while disclosing how the department certified the two private ADR centres called for serious punitive measures be taken against any lawyer who fail to comply with a case referred to Multi Door Court House by a judge or magistrates in the state.
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the two certified private ADR centres, ALICE NIMI commended the State Judiciary and Multi Door Courthouse for the approval and assured that all the rules and regulations spelt out will be followed.
In a related development; the Rivers State Judiciary has assured its readiness to collaborate with Nigerian Securityding Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in using Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve some of the issues in their office.
The state Chief Judge , Justice SIMONE CHIBUZOR-AMADI made the promise when he received in audience the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE OLOWO and his team who paid him a courtesy visit in his office , Friday where issuees ADR utilization took centre stage.
He used the opportunity to brief his visitors on the hurdles judges faces daily in the court room and the need for the decongestion of the court room , stressing that one judge handle more than three hundred cases but that if lawyers and litigants adopt ADR practice court rooms can be releive of the daily congestions.
The state Chief Judge however urged NSCDC to ensure a wider sensitization of the members of the public on the practice of ADR for a better awareness and knowledge.
Earlier in his speech, the Zonal Commander of NSCDC, Assistant Commandant General, AYINLA TALYE-OLOWO said the visit was to seek collaboration on the use of ADR in resolving some issues which he insisted would help decongest the courtrooms.
Our correspondent reports officials of the Rivers State Multi Door Courthouse led by the Director, VICTOR NWEKE led the team of NSCDC on a technical session where information on how to the fully in cooperated into the Multi Door Courthouse and operation of ADR will be emphasized.
Akujobi Amadi