By Abdullahi M. Gulloma
Abuja
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday called on world leaders to unite and form stronger action against the scourge of insurgency and piracy in West Africa and beyond.
Speaking at the 46th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Jonathan said the sub-region’s security challenges were getting out of hand.
He said: “Worrisome is the ravaging scourge of terrorism, which now threatens the peace and security of our sub-region. In the Sahel region, we have witnessed increasing proliferation of small arms and light weapons. As a result, countries in the region are today threatened by insurgents or terrorists.
“These actions have direct consequences for the continued peace, stability and prosperity of the region. In the Gulf of Guinea the increasing incidents of piracy has assumed a worrisome dimension.
“This is confounded by drug trafficking, oil bunkering and human trafficking. All of these require urgent and concerted actions from all of us. I therefore, call for stronger and more effective regional, continental and global alliance to rid our region of terrorism, piracy and violent extremism.”
The president also expressed concern over the damage Ebola Virus Disease had done to West Africa, saying there was the need for stronger alliances to combat these challenges.
He expressed satisfaction with the fact that West Africa was the fastest growing sub-region in the continent, recording an economic growth rate averaging seven per cent in 2013 compared to 6.6 per cent in 2012.
Blueprint reports that 15 Heads of State attended the opening of the summit.
