Presidency speaks as French court orders seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets

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On Thursday, the Presidency declared that it was aware of Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited’s unsuccessful attempts to obtain offshore assets belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria through deceit.

It made clear that the Federal Government has no contractual obligations to the firm, adding that Zhongshan’s attempt to seize the nation’s offshore assets through whatever means possible is a matter between the company and the Ogun State Government.

The President’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made a statement that included this information.

The announcement follows the successful petition for the seizure of three presidential aeroplanes in Nigeria filed by Zhongshan, a Chinese firm.

According to the report, a French court ordered the seizure of the three presidential jets due to the ongoing dispute between Zhongshan, a Chinese business, and the Ogun State government.

ZINGTIE learnt that the seizure is a result of the government’s reluctance to honour a $74.5 million award issued to Zhongshan by an independent arbitral tribunal, presided by the former President of the UK Supreme Court.

Nigeria’s presidential air fleet is believed to include the jets that were taken into custody.

The Federal Government is fully aware of the efforts being made by the Ogun State Government to achieve a mutually agreeable conclusion on the problem, Onanuga said in a statement in response to the development.

Part of the statement read: “This arm-twisting tactic by the Chinese company is the latest in a long list of failed moves to attach Nigerian government-owned assets in foreign jurisdictions.

“The material facts in the transaction between the Ogun State Government and Zhongshan point to another P&ID case in which unscrupulous and questionable individuals falsely present themselves as investors with the sole objective of undercutting and scamming governments in Africa.

“Undoubtedly, Zhongshan withheld vital information and misled the Judicial Court in Paris into attaching the Nigerian government’s presidential jets, which are on routine maintenance in France. The use and nature of the presidential jets as assets of a Sovereign entity whose assets are protected by diplomatic immunity forbid any foreign Court from issuing an order against them.

“We are convinced the Chinese company misled the Judicial Court of Paris regarding the use and nature of the assets it seeks to attach and did not fully disclose to the court as required by law.

“This same Chinese company had tried to enforce its questionable judgment in the UK and USA but failed.

“Like the P&ID case, foreign companies are trying to defraud Nigeria with the collaboration of some bureaucrats. Zhongshan appeared to have sold the judgment they got to a venture capitalist seeking to make money by embarrassing the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu.

“We want to assure Nigerians that the Federal Government is working with the Ogun State Government to discharge this frivolous order in Paris immediately.”

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