Fairview Africa recently reported that a French court ordered the seizure of three presidential jets belonging to Nigeria over a contract dispute between the Chinese firm Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd. and Ogun state government.
A United States appeal court had also ruled that Nigeria’s claim to sovereign immunity cannot stand in a commercial venture.
The presidency and the Ogun state government had accused the firm of “attempting to fraudulently acquire Nigeria’s offshore assets”.
However, the Chinese firm on Friday, released one of the aircrafts. The spokesperson of the company who made this known to newsmen said, the company released the aircraft because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would need it to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week.
In his words as reported by 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.”
