Ogun State has condemned the provisional attachment of three Nigerian government-owned aircraft by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd., a Chinese company….READ FULL ARTICLE...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ▶▶
This was posted on Ogun State Government X’s handle on Thursday, 15th August, 2024.
The attachment, executed in France, was ordered by the Judicial Court of Paris in two rulings dated March 7 and August 12, 2024.
Ogun State asserted that these actions were taken without proper notification to the Nigerian Federal Government, Ogun State, or their legal representatives.
The aircraft in question are designated for sovereign functions and thus protected from such actions under both international and French law.
Ogun State alleged that Zhongshan deliberately withheld crucial information from Nigerian authorities and misled the Paris court regarding the nature and use of the assets.
In response, Ogun State, in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria, has moved swiftly to challenge these provisional attachments and seeks their immediate removal.
This situation echoes the P&ID case, highlighting ongoing concerns over fraudulent schemes by entities posing as investors with intentions to defraud Nigerian states.
The dispute traced back to a 2007 contract between Ogun State and Zhongshan concerning the management of a free-trade zone.
A conflict arose in 2015, leading to arbitration in 2016. By 2019, when the current administration took office, the arbitration panel had largely concluded, resulting in a $60 million award against the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The decision, seen as unjust given Zhongshan’s limited contribution, has been vigorously contested by Ogun State.
The current administration, guided by legal counsel, decided to resist the enforcement of the arbitration award, successfully doing so in eight jurisdictions. Appeals are still ongoing in the US and UK.
Efforts to resolve the issue through settlement discussions were initially promising but faltered when Zhongshan rejected Ogun State’s reasonable offer and demanded full payment.
The mediation broke down, and further negotiations are scheduled for the first quarter of this year.
Zhongshan has since evaded settlement discussions and pursued enforcement actions, which Ogun State and Federal Government legal teams have successfully contested, including setting aside ex-parte orders in similar cases….READ FULL ARTICLE
OUR STAND ON ZHONGSHAN’S SUBTERFUGE AND PARIS COURT’S SEIZURE ORDER—-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… pic.twitter.com/c5VHkVVE7b
— Ogun State Government – OGSG (@OGSG_Official) August 15, 2024
