Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday donated $500,000, an equivalent of N180, 000,000, to Guinea Bissau in support of the West African country’s legislative election tomorrow.
The president also donated 350 units of electoral kits, 10 motorcycles, five Hilux vans and two light trucks to help the troubled country conduct a successful election.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement, said the president in his capacity as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Governments, also sent the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, as his envoy to Guinea Bissau along with the President of ECOWAS Commission President, Jean-Claude Brou.
According to the statement, the donations which were a response to a request for assistance from Nigeria by the government of Guinea Bissau, were also viewed as Nigeria’s contributions to efforts to get the country stabilised.
The statement also said the president sent the minister to the Republic of Benin to deliver his personal message to President Patrice Talon.
The statement read: “In his capacity as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, President Muhammadu Buhari, this morning, directed the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama to undertake an urgent mission as his Special Envoy to Guinea Bissau, in the company of ECOWAS Commission President, Jean-Claude Brou.
“President Buhari had in response to an urgent request for assistance by the Government of Guinea Bissau graciously approved support to the country’s election process including three hundred and fifty (350) units of electoral kits, ten(10) motorcycles, five(5) Hilux vans, two(2) light trucks and Five hundred thousand US Dollars ($500,000).
“This vital assistance ensured that legislative elections held in Guinea Bissau, which should help in stabilising the country.
“In a separate development, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister will also undertake a mission to Cotonou, Benin, to deliver a personal message to President Patrice Talon from President Buhari. The visit is in the context of the brewing political crisis ahead of April 28, 2019, legislative elections in the country.”
