By Abiola Olawale
A Chinese company, the Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, has announced its intention to release one of the three seized presidential aircraft owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The company made this announcement in a press statement issued on Friday and made available to the press.
Zhongshan explained that the decision was made as a gesture of goodwill to Nigeria.
According to the company, the decision was made to allow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use the presidential jet for his upcoming travel to France to meet French President Emmanuel Macron.
The company stated that the company is aware of the importance of the aircraft for this diplomatic engagement and has acted to facilitate the meeting.
The statement reads in part: “Zhongshan has consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making.
“It 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.”
The New Diplomat reports that this comes after a Paris court recently ordered the seizure of assets owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria, including three aircrafts, over a contract dispute.
The court ruled that the Chinese firm should use Nigeria’s jets at the Paris-Le Bourget and Basel-Mulhouse international airports “as security for its claim of EUR 74,459,221”
The firm had seized a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Boeing 737-7N6/BBJ, and an Airbus A330-243 belonging to the Nigerian federal government, which were stationed at Paris-Le Bourget and Basel-Mulhouse airports.
