How China company release Nigeria presidential jet wey dem seize for France

Di Chinese company wey get court case wit Nigeria don release di goment jet wey dem bin seize.

According to Reuters, di company tok for statement on Friday say dem agree to release di jet wey French court seize on dia behalf as a "gesture of goodwill" to allow tok-tok to happun.

Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd. also tok for di statement say dem don lift di seizure of di Nigerian presidential Airbus A330 to show say dem "consistently dey seek to act reasonably and fairly for dis court case " wey no be dem cause am.

Tori be say dis mata start from di 2007 contract between Zhongshan and Ogun state wey dey south west Nigeria to develop one free trade zone.

Dem bin end di contract for 2015 sake of say di company bin - according to di Nigerian goment - no erect more dan a perimeter fence on di land mark for di free trade zone.

"Zhongshan still dey committed to tok-tok wit representatives of di Federal Goment of Nigeria, dis time e go dey serious and substantive on both sides, wit a view to reach a reasonable compromise settlement sharp sharp," di company tok for statement.

Zhongshan bin obtain two orders from one French court for March and August to seize Nigerian assets following an arbitration award of more dan $60 million.

On Thursday, di Nigerian goment accuse Zhongshan of mounting a campaign to seize dia assets overseas, including presidential jets wey dey undergo maintenance for France, sake of di kasala.

Wetin Nigeria goment bin tok

Di federal goment of Nigeria bin say dem no get any contract obligation wit one Chinese company wey make court for Paris to seize Nigeria goment presidential jets and oda assets wey dey France.

According to di presidency, di case na between one Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited and di Ogun state govment.

Dis reply dey come afta di Chinese company bin attach di aircrafts as part of assets wey one court for Paris bin ask dem to takeover sake of di contract fallout between di two parties (Zhongshan and Ogun state)

According to Bayo Onanuga wey be special adviser to di president on information and strategy, e say di Chinese company dey try use ways wey no dey acceptable to collect assets of Nigeria wey dey abroad through mago-mago means.

“Di federal goment no dey under any contract obligation wit di company. Di case wey Zhongshan dey try use every unacceptable means to collect our offshore assets na between di company and di Ogun state govment,” di president adviser tok for im statement.

Federal goment say dem dey fully aware of efforts wey di Ogun state goment dey make to solve di mata peacefully.

How di matter between Ogun state and Zhongshan Fucheng begin

According to di presidency on how di mata take start, dem say na case of contract to manage a free-trade zone bin cause di gbege wey make di Chinese company wan seize Nigeria goment aircrafts.

“One contract between Ogun state and Zhongshan to manage a free-trade zone dey executed for 2007. Di parties bin enta disagreement for 2015, and dem begin try settle di gbege for 2016.

“By 2019, di hearing for di settlement don dey concluded. Di Arbitral Panel bin award ova 60 million USD against di federal goment of Nigeria (FGN), wey be co-defendant, wen di only tins wey Zhongshan don do na to build a perimeter fence around di free-trade zone.

“Sake of legal advice, di Ogun state goment bin reject di enforcement of di award. Di refusal not to agree wit di enforcement dey successful for eight different legal decisions. E get some appeals wey dey wait for decision against di recognition orders wey dem issue for both di US and UK.

“Ogun State bin also engage Zhongshan for settlement discussions for reasonable terms. Di last meeting bin happun for September 2023 for London and e last for three days and several officials of Ogun state attend am, including Governor Dapo Abiodun and di Attorney General/Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi.

“Zhongshan bin first dey ready to consider di offer of Ogun state but dem reverse am by di second day wen dem insist say govment need to pay di full settlement debt. Dis bin lead to breakdown of di reconciliation as both parties bin agree to meet again for di first quarter of dis year (2024).

“Since dat time, Zhongshan don dey run comot and instead, dem embark on different enforcement proceedings wey di legal team appointed by di FGN and Ogun state no dey in support of. For cases wey dey similar to di present one wia Zhongshan bin get an ex-parte order, Ogun state successfully set aside di orders.

“Ogun state neva give up on a reasonable settlement option wia di most recent letter wey dem send give Zhongshan na last week. Zhongshan bin only respond afta dem get dis latest illegal order.”

Dis na according to how di presidency say di matter bin start between Ogun state and di Chinese goment.

Presidency tok wetin dey happun for di case?

Di presidency say Chinese company Zhongshan no get any ground to ask for compensation from di Ogun state govment sake of di facts wey concern di 2007 contract between di company and di state govment to manage a free-trade zone.

Part of di assets wey di Chinese company bin attach to settlement na di aircrafts of Nigeria.

Di presidency say part of di failed moves by di Chinese company na to attach Nigerian govment-owned assets inside foreign legal decisions.

“We dey convinced say di Chinese company bin mislead di Judicial Court of Paris regarding di use and nature of di assets wey e dey to attach and dem no fully disclose to di court as required by law.

“Zhongshan bin withhold vital information and mislead di Judicial Court for Paris into attaching di Nigerian govment presidential jets wey dey on routine maintenance for France.”

Onanuga add say di use and nature of di presidential jets as assets of a Sovereign entity wey dia assets dey protected by diplomatic immunity no allow make any foreign court issue order against dem.

“Dis same Chinese company don try to enforce dia questionable judgment for di UK and USA but dem fail,” Onanuga tok for di statement.

How Ogun state react to di matter

Di Ogun state govment don issue dia own reply to di seizure of di presidential jets as part of assets wey di Chinese company attach for di foreign legal matter.

Through Hon. Kayode Akinmade wey be di Special Adviser on media and strategy to di govnor, Ogun state govment say Zhongshan go get court orders without notice to di federal govment of Nigeria, Ogun State or dia legal counsel.

"Ogun State also learn of two orders of di Judicial Court of Paris dated 7 March 2024 and 12 August 2024 respectively, both obtained by Zhongshan without notice being duly given to di Federal Government or Nigeria, Ogun State or dia legal counsel. This na di latest in a series of ill-advised attempts by Zhongshan to attach Nigerian-owned assets in foreign jurisdictions, none of which wey don to date lead to di recovery of any sums from Nigeria.

Each of di three aircrafts dey used solely for sovereign purposes and as such, dem no fit dey attached under international and French law. Zhongshan bin deliberately withhold information from di Federal Government of Nigeria, Ogun State and dia legal counsel." Di statement from Ogun state govment tok.

Ogun state say dem dey work wit di federal govment to do reasonable settlement option.

'Na international embarrassment'

Meawhile, di Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate say di tori of how dem seize Nigeria presidential jets na embarrassing tin.

Obi say di federal govment need to come out clean to tell Nigerians how dem get into wetin e describe as "mess".

"Di seizure of three jets wey belong to Nigeria Presidential fleet na anoda of di many embarrassing tins wey dey expose our failed leadership and our attitude to di rule of law," Obi tok for im post for X.

Obi add say for di govment to even go ahead wit di jet deal during di time wey Nigerians dey reject say make dem no buy di presidential jet mean say dem no rate di pipo.

Di Chinese company neva comment on di claims made by di Nigerian govment.