Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that its attention has been drawn to misleading reports in the Nigerian media that the Republic of Benin is aspiring to be the 37th State of Nigeria.
It noted in a statement that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama in the presence of his counterpart from the Republic of Benin granted a press interview after a very fruitful meeting between the ministerial delegations from both countries and stated therein “.. the President of Benin Republic said he would like the relations between the two countries to be close as if Benin was the 37th State of Nigeria”.
“The Federal Republic of Nigeria has no territorial ambition and has never aspired to make Benin or any country as part of Nigeria.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs was therefore therefore quoted out of context and the general public should kindly disregard the wrong information,” the statement signed by the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ferdinand Nwonye, said on Saturday.
Earlier on Saturday, local media reports quoted Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs as saying that the President of Benin Republic, Patrice Talon, had expressed readiness for his country to be part of Nigeria.
The reports said that the Nigerian minister, who stated this shortly after a closed door meeting with Beninoise Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Aurélien Agbenonci, said the Beninoise President gave the offer when he visited President Muhammadu Buhari, a few weeks back.
“The President of Benin said as far as they are concerned, they want (not just saying it like that but in reality, Benin should be the 37th state of Nigeria,
“We should really be one. They charged us to come together at ministerial level, to work out a framework for a sustainable relationship.”
“Onyeama said at the visit, both presidents discussed agreements between the two countries on how to put the issue of smuggling to an end, once and for all, as a follow up to the presidents’ meeting,” the reports added.
GIK/APA