Presidential Jet Seizure: How Former Governor Of Ogun State, Amosun Landed Nigeria In Trouble
A contract signed between the Ogun State Government under the administration of Senator Gbenga Daniel and a Chinese company,Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd. may cost Nigeria a fortune.
The contract, signed on June 28, 2007 was for the management of a free-trade zone by the Chinese.
The Ogun State government was alleged to have granted a 99-year Certificate of Occupancy to the company for over 2,0000 hectares of land in the Zone.
However, the contract was terminated by the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
Amosun was alleged to have called for a renegotiation of the contract, which the Chinese declined.
This led to a dispute between the parties in 2015, with arbitration commencing in 2016, with the Chinese country awarded $55.6 million in compensation from Nigeria and $75,000 in moral damages, alongside interest and legal and arbitration fees.
Ogun Stateโs full statement on the issue
OUR STAND ON ZHONGSHANโS SUBTERFUGE AND PARIS COURTโS SEIZURE ORDERโ-OGUN STATE GOVERNMENT
On 14 August 2024, the attention of the @OGSG_Official was drawn to the provisional attachment of three Nigerian government owned aircrafts in France by the Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd. (โZhongshanโ).
Ogun State also learned of two orders of the Judicial Court of Paris dated 7 March 2024 and 12 August 2024 respectively, both obtained by Zhongshan without notice being duly given to the Federal Government or Nigeria, Ogun State or their legal counsel. This is the latest in a series of ill-advised attempts by Zhongshan to attach Nigerian-owned assets in foreign jurisdictions, none of which have to date led to the recovery of any sums from Nigeria. Each of the three aircrafts is used solely for sovereign purposes and as such are immune from attachment under international and French law.