President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Monday to France.
In a statement on Sunday, Ajuri Ngelale, presidential
spokesperson, said the president will return to the country after his “brief
work stay in France”.
Ngelale did not state the exact day the president would
return to the country.
The president’s visit is coming days after a Paris court in
France ordered the seizure of three jets belonging to the Nigerian government
over the dispute involving an arbitration award in favour of Zhongshan Fucheng
Industrial Investment Co. Ltd, a Chinese firm.
The court ruled that the Chinese firm should use the three
jets at the Paris-Le Bourget and Basel-Mulhouse international airports “as
security for its claim of EUR 74,459,221”.
The seized jets are Dassault Falcon 7X, with registration
number 5N-FGU, Boeing 737-7N6/BBJ, with registration number 5N-FGT, and Airbus
A330-243, with registration number 5N-FGA.
The legal dispute that led to the $70 million arbitration
award against Nigeria started when the Ogun state government terminated the
contract of Zhongshan as the manager of the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone
(OGFTZ).
The contract termination has made Nigeria face a series of
legal battles, including a $70 million arbitration award, the seizure of the
presidential jets in France, and two residential properties in the United
Kingdom (UK).
CHINESE FIRM RELEASED ONE OF SEIZED PRESIDENTIAL JETS FOR
TINUBU’S TRIP
On Friday, the Chinese firm agreed to release one of
Nigeria’s seized presidential jets for Tinubu’s trip to France.
A spokesperson of the Chinese firm said the firm was
informed Tinubu needs one of the seized jets — Airbus A330 — to travel for a
meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
“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.”
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