ABUJA – The Presidency has vehemently denied any involvement in or obligation towards a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, that is attempting to seize Nigerian presidential jets.
In a statement released on Thursday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, clarified that the ongoing legal dispute is solely between Zhongshan and the Ogun State Government.
The statement, titled “Chinese company’s fraudulent attempt to strip Nigeria’s assets abroad,” refutes earlier reports alleging that a French court had sanctioned the seizure of three presidential jets, including a newly acquired Airbus, as part of a legal battle between Zhongshan and Ogun State.
Onanuga emphasized that the Federal Government is not party to any contract with Zhongshan. “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,” he stated.
The Presidency further revealed that Ogun State is actively pursuing 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,” Onanuga asserted.
The Presidency’s statement aims to dispel any notion of involvement in the legal dispute and to assure the public that the Nigerian government is not obligated to Zhongshan in any way. The focus of the dispute remains between Ogun State and the Chinese company, with the Federal Government maintaining a neutral stance.
