The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, says the Republic of Benin is not aspiring to be the 37 State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Nigeria has never aspired to make the Republic of Benin or any other country a part of its territory, the spokesman of the nation’s foreign ministry, Ferdinand Nwonye, said Saturday in a press release in Abuja.
The foreign affairs ministry said its attention has been drawn to misleading reports in the media that the Republic of Benin is aspiring to be the 37 State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The ministry said that the minister, Geoffrey Onyeama was quoted out of context.
It explained that the misleading reports was quoted out of context following the meeting with Mr. Onyeama and his Beninese counterpart on Feb. 18 in Abuja.
“The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to misleading reports in the media that the Republic of Benin is aspiring to be the 37 State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, in the presence of his counterpart from the Republic of Benin granted a Press Interview after a very fruitful meeting between 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 so 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 quoted out of context and the general public should kindly disregard the wrong information,” the ministry stated.
The Republic of Benin and Nigeria have been embroiled in a cold diplomatic row in recent years after the Nigerian government accused its counterpart of not doing enough to check smuggling through its borders into Nigeria.
Press Release
REPUBLIC OF BENIN IS NOT ASPIRING TO BE PART OF NIGERIA
The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn to misleading reports in the media that the Republic of Benin is aspiring to be the 37 State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama in the presence of his counterpart from the Republic of Benin granted a Press Interview after a very fruitful meeting between 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 so 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 quoted out of context and the general public should kindly disregard the wrong information.
Signed
Ferdinand Nwonye
Spokesperson
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja
Saturday, 20 February, 2021
