The presidency has said the federal government is not under any contractual obligation with Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd, a Chinese firm.
Presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga, said this on Thursday in reaction to a contract dispute between the Ogun state government and the Chinese firm.
According to Onanuga, the Chinese firm is using “unorthodox and subterfuge” to take away Nigeria’s offshore assets.
The presidency said the Chinese firm had “no solid ground” to demand restitution from the Ogun government based on the 2007 contract.
According to him, the Chinese firm “misled” the Paris court to issue the seizure order for the presidential jets.
Onanuga further pointed out that the nature of presidential jets as assets of a sovereign entity is “protected by diplomatic immunity and forbids any foreign court from issuing an order against them.”
The federal government said it is not under any contractual obligation with the company, adding that the case in which Zhongshan is trying to use every unorthodox means to strip its 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 on the matter.
“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 statement said.
Continuing, it noted: “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 want to assure Nigerians that the federal government is working with the Ogun state government to discharge this frivolous order in Paris immediately.”
