Presidential Aircrafts: FG vows to adopt Diplomatic and Legal actions
Presidential Aircrafts: FG vows to adopt Diplomatic and Legal actions
The Federal Government says it has set in motion necessary Diplomatic and Legal actions to ensure the discharge of the Presidential Aircrafts in France.
Recall that few days ago, a French Court had ordered Chinese Company to seize Nigerian jets.
The Federal Government in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Publicity, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kamarudeen Ogundele, said the step will ensure the discharge of the inappropriate orders against the aircrafts, which are covered by sovereign immunity.
The Government clarified that, though the dispute originated from engagements of Ogun State Government, however, the consequential enforcement actions are being directed against the Federal Government and its assets in line with extant principles of international law which holds that the actions of a subnational or local entity are attributable to the State or country itself.
According to the statement, On 14th August 2024, the Federal Government of Nigeria became aware of the interim attachment of three presidential aircrafts undergoing routine maintenance in France adding that, the said temporary attachment was made pursuant to exparte orders issued by the Judicial Court of Paris dated 7 March 2024 and 12 August 2024 respectively at the instance of Messrs.
It stressed that Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company seeking to enforce a Final Award granted in its favour on 26 March 2021, against one of Nigeria’s sub-nationals, Ogun State.
It added 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.
FG insisted that 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 aircrafts in question are sovereign assets, used solely for sovereign purposes and are therefore immune from attachment as Zhongshan has sought to do.
