The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has thrown his weight behind the establishment of the Nigeria-Benin Republic permanent Commission.
The Minister gave the nod on Wednesday when he received by the audience the Nigeria, Advocacy Group for the Establishment of a Permanent Joint Commission between Nigeria and Benin Republic in Abuja.
The group was led by Amb. Oguntuase Kayode, Chairman of the group’s Governing board.
“This issue of the Nigeria, Benin Joint Commission is on the front burner, but it’s also important to note from our records here that in Nigeria Benin Joint Commission does exist it’s just gone silent. It’s already in existence and went sort I wouldn’t want to use the word comatose, for lack of a better word slowed down in 2014 and it needs to be resuscitated.
“And I believe that is happening organically because a lot is happening bilaterally between the two countries.”
He added, “So it is a laudable initiative because the private sector and civil society must be involved. In this way, it’s even more organic than just governments coming together. It’s important that we have the private sector, and civil society, engaging each other and then we just reinforce that. It’s also important to remind ourselves that we have an asset at the border.
” And we’ve seen that the issue of security is increasingly tied to deficiencies in development in standards of living in border areas because this is where sometimes insurgencies and unrest hide to incubate and then come up with of course, well we’re lucky maybe because of the very friendly relations between Nigeria and public opinion and also because of the comparative affluence.
“We don’t have that on the Nigeria-Benin border, even though we do have some disputes and disagreements which we urge you to also, you know, participate in, in diffusing some of the tension that every now and again comes up with regards to border disputes.”
In his early remarks, Amb. Oguntuase Kayode said the establishment of the permanent Nigeria-Benin Republic Commission was apt.
He said, “The establishment of the proposed Nigeria and Benin Republic Joint Commission is quite apt and important in leveraging the existing warm relations between the two countries to a strategic partnership which will manifest itself in building robust and sustainable people-to-people and business relations.
“This Proposal has been inspired by the successes of the existing Permanent Joint Commission between Nigeria and her neighbouring countries, especially, the Niger Republic.
“The Geo-strategic importance of Nigeria and Benin Republic to their existential realities is a compelling factor for forging a strategic partnership such as a Permanent Joint Commission that would regulate, monitor, supervise and co-ordinate beneficial relations between the two countries.”
