Two former governors of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, and Ibikunle Amosun, have broken their silence on the dispute between Nigeria and a Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Company Limited.
The Chinese firm had during the week seized a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Boeing 737-7N6/BBJ, and an Airbus A330-243 belonging to the Federal Government stationed at Paris-Le Bourget and Basel-Mulhouse airports in France.
This followed an order by the Paris judicial court on a contract dispute between the Ogun State government and the company.
The said contract was signed during Daniel’s tenure in 2007.
On Friday, the company released one of the three aircraft to enable President Bola Tinubu to use it for his trip to Paris where he would meet with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.
In separate statements on Saturday, the former governors declared their readiness to assist the Federal Government find a way out of the controversial ruling that paved the way for the seizure of the country’s presidential jets.
Daniel, who spoke in a statement titled: “Seized National Assets/Ogun/Guangdong FTZ: Our Story,” said he was ready to provide relevant documents that would assist Nigeria navigate a way out of the contractual logjam.
The statement read: “Since the report of the Arbitration and legal matters between a Chinese Firm and the Federal Government of Nigeria/Ogun State Government on the termination of Management contract at the Ogun/Guangdong Free Trade Zone, the Media Office of His Excellency, The Senator Otunba Engr Gbenga Daniel, FNSE, FAEng has been inundated with calls requesting for Otunba Daniel’s reaction on the matter.
“We need to establish clearly that Otunba Gbenga Daniel or his administration is not in discussion on the matter before the courts and arbitration, neither were the terms or proprietary of the Agreement for the establishment of the FTZ, rather it is the termination of a Management Contract. The judgements in all the courts are very clear on this.
“Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel would rather engage in helping Nigeria, through the President and Commander-in-Chief, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to find a diplomatic solution to the issue at hand with available records that could assist the Federal Government in pursuing its course at the arbitration and before the courts.
“ He cannot do this on the pages of the newspapers and on other media which may also compromise the strength of Nigeria’s arguments in the courts. We need to also appreciate that this matter is before various courts in several countries and it is subjudice for anyone to speak on them.”
On his part, Amosun promised to work with the government agencies in any capacity to ensure that Nigeria was not cheated by the Chinese firm or any other entity.
The former governor expressed concern that a purely business dispute between two Chinese nationals and corporations had now degenerated into an unlawful attempt to appropriate Nigeria’s assets.
