Chinese firm releases one presidential jet for Tinubu’s trip to France

A Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited said it has released one of Nigeria’s presidential jets in its possession over alleged $74.5 million judgment debt to allow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to travel to France for a meeting with President Macron next week.

A court in Paris had granted Zhongshan permission to seize three Nigerian presidential jets over alleged $74.5 million judgment debt awarded to it against Nigeria.

However, speaking on Friday, the company said it released one of the aircraft because the President Tinubu would need it to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week, according to a report by Nigeria’s Premium Times.

The company said it released the aircraft, an Airbus A330 currently detained in France as gesture of goodwill to allow it to be used for the President’s trip. Zhongshan also affirmed its commitment to resolving the dispute over the disagreement with the Ogun State Government that led to seizure of the planes with the Federal Government.

His words according to Premium Times: “Zhongshan has consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making,” the official told this newspaper Friday afternoon.

“It (Zhongshan) has now been made aware that an Airbus A330, currently detained in France as a result of a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is needed for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week.

“As a gesture of goodwill, Zhongshan has lifted the seizure of that aircraft immediately. This will allow it to be used for the President’s trip.

“Zhongshan remains committed to talks with representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria, this time serious and substantive on both sides, with a view to reaching a reasonable compromise settlement rapidly.”

The Federal Government had on Thursday said it is working in collaboration with the Ogun State government to quash the order obtained by Zhongshan in Paris to seize Nigeria’s presidential jets which it described as frivolous.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in a statement said: “The Presidency is aware of the various failed attempts by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, to take over offshore assets of the Federal Government of Nigeria through subterfuge.

“The Federal Government is not under any contractual obligation with the company. The case in which Zhongshan is trying to use every unorthodox means to strip our offshore assets is between the company and the Ogun State Government.

“The federal government is fully aware of efforts being made by the Ogun state government to reach an amicable resolution to the matter.

“It must be said without any equivocation that Zhongshan has no solid ground to demand restitution from the Ogun State Government based on the facts regarding the 2007 contract between the company and the State Government to manage a free-trade zone.

“When the contract with Ogun State was revoked in 2015, the company had only erected a perimeter fence on the land earmarked for a free trade zone.

“While the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice are working with the Ogun State Government on an amicable resolution, Zhongshan obtained two orders from the Judicial Court of Paris dated March 7, 2024, and August 12, 2024, without any notice being duly served on the Federal Government of Nigeria and Ogun State Government.

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

“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 cheating 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.

“Nigerian Government will always work to protect our national assets from predators and shylocks who masquerade as investors”.