Benin Republic Never Aspired To Join Nigeria As The 37th State

By Samuel Ohwovoriole

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Geoffrey Onyeama, has stated that the news making the round that Benin Republic is aspiring to become the 37th state in Nigeria is not true and that the minister was quoted out of context.

The Minister made this clarification in Abuja in the presence of his counterpart from the Republic of Benin when he granted a Press Interview after a very fruitful delebration between both ministerial delegations from the two 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”.

He said, “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. 
He went further to say, “he Federal Republic of Nigeria has no territorial ambition and has never aspired to make Benin or any country as part of Nigeria.” He emphasised.

He noted that “The Minister of Foreign Affairs was therefore quoted out of context and the general public should kindly disregard the wrong information.” 

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