What we are doing to free presidential jets seized in France - Tuggar
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has said the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment over a dispute with Ogun government has demonstrated why states should not enter foreign or international negotiations without involvement of the necessary agencies of the Federal Government.
Tuggar said this while revealing steps being taken to resolve the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets by the Chinese company over a judgment obtained at court in Paris against Ogun government.
The court had allowed Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment to use Nigeria’s presidential jets at the Paris-Le Bourget and Basel-Mulhouse international airports as “security for its claim of EUR 74,459,221”.
However, Tuggar said he has been working with the Attorney General of the Federal and on the diplomatic and legal fronts to ensure that the issue is resolved, according to a report by Channels Television.
“This is part of the problem when sub-national actors like state governments take it upon themselves to go into agreements, go into international arrangements, without recourse to the ministry of foreign affairs, without recourse to the federal government, and then when it goes awry, we are left with the problem to deal with.
“That is why it is always important that such arrangements should be registered with the mission there, with the embassy, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and with the federal government.
“This is something that Ogun state, under a different administration, not this governor, entered into that we’re not aware of. All we know is that they’re going after Nigerian assets.
“That’s why, really, foreign or international negotiations are not the purview of sub-national actors.
“You should always have those that are experienced in such an area that have the necessary skills and the necessary training to negotiate these sorts of agreements.”
Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Publicity, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Kamarudeen Ogundele, had in an earlier statement said the federal government became aware of the interim attachment of three presidential aircraft undergoing routine maintenance in France on August 14.
He added that the temporary attachment was made pursuant to ex-parte orders issued by the Judicial Court of Paris dated March 7, 2024 and August 12, 2024 at the instance of Zhongshan.
The statement said, “It is to be noted that the arbitral award arose from an arbitration proceeding, which commenced in 2018 as a fallout of a contractual dispute between the Chinese company and Ogun State Government over the operation and management of Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone.
“We wish to clarify that, though, the dispute originated from engagements of Ogun State Government, the consequential enforcement actions are being directed against the federal government and its assets in line with extant principles of international law, which hold that the actions of a subnational or local entity are attributable to the state or country itself.
“The offices of the National Security Adviser and the Attorney-General of the Federation have already set in motion both legal and diplomatic steps to ensure the discharge of the inappropriate orders against the aircraft, which are covered by sovereign immunity.
“While, further actions are being put in place to resolve the entire dispute through available legal means, the firm position of the federal government remains that the aircraft in question are sovereign assets used solely for sovereign purposes and are, therefore, immune from attachment, as Zhongshan has sought to do.”
Also, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had accused the Chinese company of employing subterfuge to acquire the offshore assets of the federal government.
Comments
Post a Comment