By Godfrey Bivbere

Stakeholders in the maritime industry have blamed the inability of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Guinuea, GoG, on the age-long Francophone – Anglophone dichotomy.

The stakeholders were responding to the recent spike in piracy in the GoG.

They are of the opinion that the Francophone nation’s in the sub-region will also follow the direction which their colonial masters want them to, which, most of the times, is against the direction that the sub-regional body wants.

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A Director at the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Femi Ajisafe, said there is little ECOWAS or Africa integration can do as long as the dichotomy between Anglophone and Francophone nation’s continues.

According to him, “There is really not much that can be achieved in ECOWAS or African integration so long as francophone countries are involved because they are permanently tied to the apron strings of France. 

“France will never let go of its colonies – any recalcitrant entity amongst them is dealt with politically. This explains the reason francophone countries are reticent on issues of cooperation, especially when France’s interest is likely to be in jeopardy,” he noted.

Also speaking on piracy in the GoG, former National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, Eugene Nweke, and former Director of Shipping Development at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Enisouh Warredi, hinted of a failure of the Nigerian Navy and the recently lunched Deep Blue project inability to tackle piracy in the area.

They explained that these navies invading the GoG claim to be in the area as a result of bilateral agreement with the Nigerian Navy but further findings show that they are also providing protection for their assets in the area.

They warned that the presence of these navies poses a threat to the countries in the sub-region. They, therefore called on Nigerian government and those of the region to act decisively before it is too late.