The Ogun State Government, on Thursday, said it regrets any embarrassment the seizure of three Nigeria’s presidential jets has caused the Federal Government, President Bola Tinubu, and the people of Ogun. A French court had granted a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd, an order to seize the three jets following a dispute over a free trade zone which the company entered with the Ogun State Government in 2007......READ THE FULL STORY>>.....READ THE FULL STORY>>
Two of the jets are undergoing maintenance in Switzerland and another is in France.
The state government had revoked the contract in 2015, forcing the aggrieved company to approach an Arbitral panel and was awarded $60m against the Nigerian government which was a co-defendant.
But reacting in a statement, the state government argued that each of the three aircrafts seized is used solely for sovereign purposes and are immune from attachment under international and French law.
In obtaining the provisional attachments, it noted that Zhongshan deliberately withheld information from the Nigeria Government, Ogun and their legal counsel.
According to the Ogun State Government, it also appears that the Chinese firm misled the Judicial Court of Paris as to the use and nature of the assets it seeks to attach and not made full disclosure to the court as required by law.
The government, therefore, reaffirmed its commitment to constantly and consistently protect the integrity of the nation and its assets.
It stated that it had taken all necessary legal steps to ensure that the order was vacated.
“We naturally regret any embarrassment this has caused the Federal Government of Nigeria, HE President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, GCFR and the good people of Ogun State and re-affirm our commitment to constantly and consistently protect the integrity of the nation and its assets. We have taken all necessary legal steps to ensure that this spurious and baseless order is vacated within the shortest possible time. As a sovereign nation, whose assets are protected by laws of sovereign immunity, we vow to resist any attempts at blackmail and theatrics clearly designed to extort and embarrass our dear country,” a statement by Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, said.
“It is important to note that Ogun State never gave up on a reasonable settlement option, with the most recent letter sent to Zhongshan, last week. Unfortunately, Zhongshan only responded after obtaining this latest order. A reasonable and objectively quantifiable settlement figure has always been our preference and continues to be an option in the resolution of this protracted dispute.”
