Nigeria provides vehicles, $.5m to support Guinea Bissau election

The Federal Government has approved US$500,000, electoral kits and number of vehicles to support the conduct of legislative election in Guinea Bissau.

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama disclosed this yesterday when Jose Filho, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Guinea Bissau, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

“Mr President as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS recently sent a delegation to Guinea Bissau together with the president of ECOWAS Commission president.

“Mr President has approved substantial number of election kits to enable them to carry out this election. Without those kits that are over 250, it is going to be difficult to carry out the election.

“In addition Mr President has approved the supply of vehicles with about 500,000 dollars,” he said.

The minister said the substantial amount of money and other logistics are to help Guinea Bissau get out of what has been a very difficult situation for a number of years.

“Guinea Bissau is very important for the ECOWAS sub region. As you know that President Muhammadu Buhari is the chairperson of the ECOWAS and interested in political situation of Guinea Bissau. And of course he is happy with a lot of progress that has been made in that country. Nigeria has helped supply electoral kits to facilitate the election in that country. In fact it seems that this was really a precondition for them to move to electoral front,” he said.

Nigeria together with UN and ECOWAS have determined to ensure complete political stability in Guinea Bissau to permit economic development that the country needs, he said

The UN envoy thanked Nigeria for the support toward the conduct of peaceful election in that country.

“We came here to exchange view and express appreciation not in the name of Guinea Bissau but in the name of the international community because I represent the UN in Guinea Bissau,” Filho said.